Beating Hearts
by GoodGurl
Summary: chp 24: Epilogue An ending with new problems that is yet to be resolved! Thanx to all reviewers! A Sequel will not be made! Love... A look at the lives of the SeeDs and how love affects them. Warning: A Queifer, Squinoa and Zelphie! Please rr! Thanx!
1. Rainfall

Love is a song of peace and comfort  
it sings in our minds forever   
like a memory that will never fade away  
  
Love is the sun  
it shines down upon those darkened by the cloud  
never will the cloud rain down to bring us sadness  
  
Love is a broom   
it sweeps away the dust of pain and sorrow  
never will the bunnies go astray in our hearts  
  
Love is a shadow  
it follows us around whenever there is light  
never will it disappear from our path  
  
Love are two roads  
it can belong to either the past or the future  
never will it ever be a one way street  
  
No matter what love is  
it will always embrace us with its arms   
it tucks us away safely from the grasping hands  
that traps us in loneliness   
  
Could it be that love conquers all?  
  
By: Me!  
  
  
  
  
Note: That was just a poem by me, a poetry on love. I wrote this to emphasize that love will never disappear no matter how much you try to avoid it. You may say that love doesn't exist, but it does. It can either be a love for someone or something. You may say that love is nothing more than a feeling, but it's more than that. That is what I'm going to write to you guys today. Final Fantasy 8 is mostly about romance and most people felt that the romance between Squall and Rinoa was pretty fast (I'm guilty of thinking about that too). I'm going to write a story about the love that not only what these two have, but also the love lives of the other people of Balamb Garden.   
  
WARNING: This is a Squall/Rinoa, Quistis/Seifer, Zell/Selphie, Irvine/some made up girl, Cid/Edea, Fujiin/Raijin, Nida/Xu and yes Ultimaecia may have a loved one too in the future before she became a bad person. Enjoy!  
  
First chapter: We'll start off with my favourite couple! Read and you'll know who I'm talking about.   
  
  
  
  
Beating Hearts  
  
  
  
Chapter 1 - Rainfall  
  
  
  
A handful of wet, golden hair fell upon her shoulders. Silk touched the bare skin of her back as she wrapped the belt around her naked waist. Rain tapped on the rooftop like a carpenter banging the hammer on nails. The window stayed closed and a small hand creeped underneath to move the curtains open. Blue eyes scanned the area of wet grass and adjacent rain as it is blown by the cold wind. Only darkness does she see in this lonely world, like everyone had died and only her lived. A small puddle was visible below and she could see her heart drowning in the waters.   
  
She hasn't spoken to anyone for six weeks (not in the sense of being herself), afraid of what they will think of her of what she has become. She no longer placed a smile on her face, nor has she stayed anymore as a teenager. She felt like an adult, mothering the children as Edea mothered the orphans she knew as her friends. A soft sigh escaped her lips.  
  
'When will my sorrow end?' she thought, sitting down on her floral bed. She let her body fall on the soft mattress and allowed herself to close her eyes. A single tear escaped her soaked, sorrowful face and let sleep take over her punished form.  
  
  
  
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Wet and tired feet splashed unto the muddy ground. Water spewed from every direction and a single form appeared from behind the trees. Rain soaked his disheveled hair, that was once bright and golden in colour. His features, no longer gleaming in arrogance and pride, were ransacked with pain and suffering. New blood ran down his torn hips, one of which struck by the resentment of towns he passed by. They knew him, so they attacked.   
  
He searched for a form of life ahead of him, but no sound of crunching feet, nor the whispers amongst the grass were seen by his tired eyes. He limped carelessly towards the little drops of light casted down by the street lamps by the front gate, only to have his feet sunk by the dier feeling of the earth. He fell face forward unto the faceless soil and soon his face was masked with the sulking dirt.   
  
The rain poured endlessly unto him, disindegrating the smirk that played on his lips, the trademark that he was known for. It was replaced with a grim expression, no longer feeling nor knowing what his dream was meant to be. He was left with many questions in his mind and no answers to respond to them.   
  
Finally, unable to find the strenght, he moved himself apart from the rain and laid himself by the nearest shelter he could find. A lonesome tree. Like him, it had no other means of being alive. Yet, it stayed there, living in many seasons, facing the isolation from other trees that no longer existed in the land. 'I guess it's just you and me,' he stated in his mind, contemplating the solitary tree. His eyes stared straight ahead, watching and waiting for the rain to subside.   
  
Soon, morning will come.   
  
  
  
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Her eyes fluttered open. Somehow, she felt someone's pain. She felt someone's fear. Yet, she can't quite put the sense of how it was possible, why it was possible and who it was that showed fear in that someone's heart. She rose from her bed, looking around for the source of that feeling, however it wasn't in her room. Nor was it inside the quiet building, neither it be the people entombed within the walls.   
  
She wrapped her robe securely around her and once again peeked out of the window. The rain had not stopped. It still poured menacingly, enabling anyone to see the bright moon from beyond.   
  
Her whole body and mind only dozed off for a couple of minutes. She felt a shiver run down her spine. Teeth chattered and hair stood on end. She found herself in fear of that someone. She could not understand why it was so.  
  
Suddenly, she heard a soft tap on the door. Glancing at her watch, she furrowed her eyebrows and wondered who could be knocking on her door at this late of an hour. She heard the person's hollow voice on the other side of the door, yet she hesitated to answer it.   
  
"Instructor Trepe?" the soft voice spoke.  
  
Sighing, Quistis closed the curtains and strolled towards the door. Grasping a small hand on the cold metal, she twisted the door open, revealing a small boy about the age of ten. His eyes showed fear and contentment. His dark hair, as if waken up from a dream were slanted on different directions, not allowing itself to fall flat on the boy's head.   
  
She kneeled down at his eye level, placing a hand on his shoulder and met the boy's green eyes. Green eyes that seemed so familiar to her.   
  
The boy took a moment to gasp for air. She could tell he had ran all the way to her room just to let her know of the urgent news. "I saw someone, Instructor," he replied quietly.  
  
Quistis looked at him, searching his eyes to see if the boy was telling the truth. He didn't blink, nor did he hesitate to tell her. This showed that the boy, in fact, saw someone. "Who is this someone?"   
  
Without her permission, the boy ran inside, took his place by the window and opened the curtains as wide as it could go. He waited until Quistis stood by his side and pointed outside the graved plains. Quistis followed his finger and saw, just far away from the mobile Garden, a lone figure. His face, covered by the massacre of the rain, looked peaceful, but within, she could tell that the wandering traveler was printed with pain and rejection.   
  
She squinted her eyes, wanting to find out who it was before she thought about walking out into the devastation caused by the rain and help out this stranger. His hair was too dark to see, so she looked for the closest place that could mark him as friend or foe. She knew then, who he was. Quistis stared into the emblem marked on his right arm. The mark of a red cross. Hyperion.   
  
"Seifer..." she whispered.  
  
The boy looked up, puzzled. Quistis glanced down on the small boy and nodded, thanking him silently for telling her. The boy nodded back and without hesitation, left the room, leaving Quistis to ponder whether she should tell the SeeDs and Cid or take him in herself. She knew the SeeDs can never welcome him with open arms. She knew, because she is one. But she kept these questions neatly in her head, finally deciding for herself. There was no point in leaving him alone. Enemy or not, Seifer Almasy needed medical attention.  
  
Unwrapping her robe quickly, she dressed herself in a more suitable fashion. Grey sweatpants and sweatshirt were comfortable and dirty running shoes were more than enough to be used until it worn out. She no longer needed the tanned footwear. She desparately needs a new one.   
  
Putting the hood on her head, Quistis Trepe, daring to face the wrath of mother nature, walked down the hallway quietly and stepped out into the rain. She took small steps towards the front gate, hoping that the guard was sleeping and when her eyes saw that it was true, she slowly stepped over the metal bars and continued her journey. That was the simple step, now she has to face the front gates that blocked her way towards the restless form of the arrogant blond.   
  
With her magic, she cast float on herself and flew atop the gate, with the help of the wind from nature and the wind from her magic to lift her up. With ease, she landed on the ground expertly and ran towards the sleeping man, with his head downcast and his chin touching his chest, covered with his grey trenchcoat.   
  
'Don't be dead, Seifer, don't be dead,' she thought. True, she wanted him dead before, but she was no monster. She had a choice of leaving him dead from the cold and preferrably from bleeding, however, Quistis Trepe was no killer herself. She believed in redemption, but can it really happen in Seifer? That was her one doubt about him. Most people thought that people like Seifer didn't deserve that kind of forgiveness, but what about Edea? Isn't she judged by the same crime as he? Why was it so easy to forgive her? Yes, she was Matron, the woman who took care of them, but Seifer was also Seifer, the little boy whom they grew up with in the orphanage.   
  
Quistis ran as fast as she could, panting by the time she reached him. Her eyes widened in shock at the sight of him. His whole body were filled with blood. A gloved hand was clutched over his right hip. She could see blood dripping from underneath. His clothes were torn from head to toe, but not enough to see how bruised his body was.   
  
She kneeled down at his eye level, placing a hand by his neck to see if there was any pulse. There was none. Fear struck Quistis like lightning and there was no time to lose. She had to get him out quickly and treat his wound as soon as possible. She kneeled to his side, removed one arm that was resting on the floor and wrapped it around her neck. Then, with one strong force, she pushed herself and him up from the ground into a standing position. Seifer was heavy for her, but she was strong as well. She wasn't weak. With one slow move, struggling to get her footing, Quistis finally took her first step. It was going to take longer to do this, but she'll manage.   
  
Why she bothered to help out the worst enemy of Garden, she may never understand. Maybe it was because she felt sorry for him, or maybe because she needed another reason to show herself that she was not a failure as a teacher. Maybe she needed to show Seifer that she was not a mediocre.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Note: Hey, i hope you guys like this one! Please r/r! Thanx! Next will be another couple! Stay tuned! 


	2. Written In The Stars

Note: Ah, the moment of truth! The couple that made Final Fantasy 8 famous! Here it is, a love that conquered all the destruction caused by the enemy of Garden. Read and find out who! Oh, by the way, the beginning is at the end of the game where Rinoa and Squall are at the balcony.  
  
  
Chapter 2 - Written In The Stars  
  
  
  
He watched her petite form underneath the stars. Her blue duster flowed behind her as she twirled around to look at him. A smile crept on her lips, making her even more beautiful compared to the other girls in Garden. She lifted an arm slightly and pointed a finger up at the sky. He smiled, the first real smile. This smile was for her and only her. No one else could replace that smile on his face, nor could anyone replace his love for her. They belonged together as one, with one mind and soul. He casually walked towards her and gently wrapped his arms around her waist.  
  
"Do you like the stars, Squall?" she whispered.  
  
He nodded, looking up above them. Stars blinked, winking at them with their gleaming lights. A hand rested softly on his cheek. He glanced down, meeting a pair of chestnut eyes. Wind blew carelessly pass them, blowing away her dark, silky hair that brushed his neck. He reached out and curled a strand behind her ear. He leaned over and kissed her on the lips, keeping her safe within in his arms.   
  
"Hey lovebirds!" a cheery voice spoke, startling the couple.  
  
They both looked up and saw a bouncy brunette waving at them with on eye focused on a camera she held in her hand. Squall frowned, disappointed by Selphie for not leaving them alone for a while. He felt someone's hand moving pass his arm to become entwined with his hand. He glanced at her, smiling. Rinoa waved at the camera.  
  
"Hey everyone!" she greeted, brightly.  
  
Selphie moved the camera towards Squall, who stopped grinning to reveal a serious look on his face. "Come on, Squall! Say something!" she urged the taller teen.  
  
Squall sighed. 'I wish they would leave us alone,' he thought. Before he could say anything, Rinoa jumped in front of the camera, her hands clasped behind her. She looked at the camera closely, grinning through the device at Selphie.   
  
"Hey, Selphie, do you mind if you leave us alone for a while?"  
  
The bouncy girl nodded, a smile plastered on her face. "Sure thing, Rinny!" She removed her face from the camera and waved at the two, before leaving them alone.   
  
Rinoa turned back around to face Squall, walking up to him. His back was to her, facing the passing trees and mountains as Balamb Garden flew pass them. She moved to his side, wrapping an arm around his waist and resting her head on his shoulder. Squall wrapped his arm around her shoulder, rubbing her arm gently to keep the cold away from her body.   
  
She looked up. "What are you thinking?"  
  
Blue eyes did not meet brown ones. Instead, Squall kept his face focused on the surroundings, thinking about what just happened a few days ago. Has it been a few days already that they defeated Ultimaecia? He gritted his teeth at the thought of her and at the thought of Seifer. Rinoa may forgive him for what he did, almost killing her when he tried to give her to Adel, but Seifer will never get on his good side. Seifer was a mistake to be walking on earth. Whoever his parents were, probably made him a bastard child. They got drunk one night and had him.   
  
His resentment towards Seifer will never go away. Even if he asks for forgiveness, Squall will kill him on the spot if he dares touches Rinoa or converse with her.   
  
"Squall?" He had forgotten that Rinoa was speaking to him. He was too busy with his anger towards Seifer, that he hadn't noticed Rinoa looking up at him in concern.   
  
Squall kissed her temple. "I was thinking how I almost lost you in Lunatic Pandora," he replied.  
  
"I'm here now, Squall. You'll never lose me," she responded quietly. She put her head back down to rest on his shoulder and sighed. Her mind restarted back to the time she met Seifer until the time she met Squall. She knew all along that Squall and her were meant to be. "Squall.... when you do lose me, all you have to do is look at the stars and follow it."  
  
"Follow it?" he asked.  
  
Rinoa nodded. She put a hand on her mouth to stifle a yawn. "Stars tell you many things by looking at them. They write the words for you and even form pictures to show you where I am," she whispered. "They'll light the path so you can find me in the dark."  
  
He looked up at the stars and there, like magic, the stars seem to form into a young woman. He saw the exact replica of Rinoa. Squall smiled. He closed his eyes, also stifling a yawn.   
  
Rinoa looked up, her eyes twinkling. "Are you tired?"  
  
Squall noddded.  
  
"Hey you two!" Selphie popped her head once again, a smile never fading from her face. The couple broke from their reverie and turned around to face the hyper active teenager carrying a different type of camera. It grasped ever so gently around her tiny fingers. She waved a hand towards them, urging them to come to her. "Come on! We need to take pictures of all of us!" With that said, Selphie disappeared from sight, making her way towards the others who were already in position. Rinoa and Squall followed the jumpy seventeen year old. Rinoa moved a hand through Squall's arms and they sashayed towards the group. Selphie sat down on one of the three empty chairs positioned in front of Zell and Irvine, who stood, waiting for the other two. Rinoa took her place beside Selphie, while Squall squeezed in between Zell and Irvine, a serious look upon his face. He didn't like pictures. Quistis appeared later, sitting down on the other side of Rinoa. Cid and Edea took their places on each side; Cid on Zell's side, wheareas Edea by Irvine.   
  
"Hey, kid! Can you take a picture of all of us?" Selphie stood up quickly and handed the camera to the boy who was just passing by.   
  
The boy nodded, taking the camera from Selphie's hand and moved back a little bit to get all of them. He lifted up the camera on his face. Selphie sat back down and at the same time, all the other SeeDs smiled their best smile. Squall forced a smile on his face. He never really thought about smiling for anyone, but this time... this time was different. Rinoa was going to be in the picture.   
  
  
  
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"Hey," a soft voice spoke. He glanced over his shoulder and saw her walking up to him. Her smile, something that made his heart soared, never disappeared from her beautiful face. She has always been there for him. Many times he wanted to tell her how much he loved her, but nothing ever came out. Those words, somehow, didn't quite fit in his mouth. Why was it so hard to tell her?   
  
"Hi," he replied. He let her lithe arms, so fragile and beautiful, wrap around his waist. He felt her head rest for just a second on his back. He smiled, rather awkwardly, unsure how to say the right words to her. Why was it so hard?   
  
Rinoa glanced over his shoulder at the pictures taken six weeks ago. She smiled. "That was the day we defeated Ultimaecia, wasn't it?"  
  
Squall nodded. "Yeah," he replied, curtly. Squall put the picture back down on its usual spot on the foyer and turned around to face her. He looked down and planted a small kiss on the tip of her nose, then pulled her closer for a loving embrace. He will never let her go.   
  
Rinoa closed her eyes. She loved the feeling of his leather jacket and fur that lined his collar. She breathed in his scent, her smile never faltering. "What were you thinking just now?"  
  
"I was just thinking about not letting you go," he answered.  
  
Her heart raced. She looked up and her smile brightened. She wrapped her arms tighter around him and rested her head on his chest, something she does often when she wanted to feel relaxed in his arms. "I'll never let you go either," she whispered.  
  
Squall smiled. For a long time, he's been searching for a meaning in his life. Now he found it. She was his star, the path to his happiness, the road to his heart. He wrapped his arms tighter around her small body and closed his eyes as well. For a moment, they were lost in their own world.   
  
For a long time, Squall has been trapped in darkness, trapped in the field of ice, trapped in a barrier that no one could break. It was until Rinoa came into his life did the darkness lightened his mood. It was Rinoa who melted the field of ice and replaced it with a field of flowers and it was Rinoa who broke the barrier down, broke the wall that kept him inside all his life.   
  
Rinoa stared behind Squall and looked out the window. The sun shone through. It was a beautiful sunny afternoon. "It's a nice sunny day for a walk. Want to?" she asked.  
  
Squall nodded. "Sure."   
  
The dark headed girl grinned, unwrapping her arms from around him and took her small hand and placed it in Squall's palm. Squall closed his hands and smiled down on her. Rinoa smiled back, then, without a moment's hesitation, began pulling him with her.   
  
"Wait, Rinoa?"   
  
Rinoa stopped walking, pausing by the door and turned around. "What is it, Squall?"  
  
He took a deep breath. This was it. He was going to tell her. "Um... I love you," he said.  
  
Rinoa's eyes widened. She felt like flying. Squall had finally said it. She has been waiting for it all her life. With another smile, she let go of Squall's hand, turned around completely and jumped in his arms. Squall caught her just in time and watched as Rinoa's happy tears fell from her eyes. He waited for a response from her.  
  
"I... I... I love you too, Squall," she replied, chockingly. They stood there, in each other's arms, isolated from the rest of the world. Squall smiled slightly. He was glad he said it. "I love you too," Rinoa repeated silently.  
  
Rinoa... his life, his love and his star.  
  
"I followed the stars, Rinoa and I found you," he whispered in her ear. He leaned down, putting his mouth closer to hers. Rinoa smiled, moving her mouth closer. Their lips locked into a kiss. First, the kiss was sweet and gentle, then it grew into a passionate kiss. A kiss that will change them forever. This was a kiss for the declaration of their love for each other. The sun shone on them, as if giving them a spotlight on a show, with its golden rays.   
  
No one can change their love for each other, because it is written in the stars.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Noate: Okay, i hope you like. I think the ending was sweet, but some may think it was corny, but... whatever. I still liked it! This is my first attempt at a Squinoa, so please be gentle! I mean, i don't even like Rinoa, but I still support Squinoa. Enjoy! Oh, don't forget to r/r! Thanx!  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
GoodGurl 


	3. Crush

Note: Hi! Hi! I like all your reviews and I enjoy reading 'em! Next couple is....... drum roll please! ............. nevamind.... just read!  
  
  
Chapter 3 - Crush   
  
  
  
A hand, exhausted from the previous training, twisted the knob closed, shutting the shower down. He rested his forehead on the cold, wet tiles of the shower stall wall and took a deep breath. No matter how many times he tried to forget, he will never get the image of her out of his mind. To him, she was the last person he wanted to think of, but she was also the first person he was thinking of.   
  
A droplet of water fell from his soaked face. His back, bruised and torn from defeating a mother T-Rexaur, trying to protect her young, were aching more. His body ached all over. "A good rest helps," he whispered to himself. With another breath, he opened the door to the stall and reached out to the towel holder nearby. He pulled his green towel from its place, keeping the floor wet by staying inside the shower and ran the towel over his hair. He stroked his neck as well, getting rid of all the wetness from the water, then ran his towel around his chest, his back and lastly, his feet. With that done, he stepped out of the shower and dried his feet on the cloth lying on the floor in front of him. He wrapped his towel around his waist, leaving his chest and back bare and walked into his bedroom.  
  
He could hear the wind howl through the window. He gazed towards the beaming red light of his clock, eyes widerning in astonishment. It was still too early to be dark outside.   
  
Dark clouds began to hover over Garden. That's when Zell knew it was about to rain. Zell walked to his bed. He glanced at the window for awhile, before he let himself fall down back first on the soft mattress. His eyes trailed up at the ceiling. There was nothing else to do in Garden, except maybe go to the training center and almost get yourself killed and hang out with friends, but Zell has been doing that for as long as he can remember. He wanted to do exciting things and forget everything about the girl he's been thinking of for the past six weeks.   
  
Without bothering to change his clothes, leaving only his towel around his waist and his chest, exposed in the heated room, he closed his eyes and readied himself to sleep. However, a knock on the door interrupted him from his serene state. Mumbling to himself, Zell slowly lifted himself up from bed to answer the door. He knew it was probably Irvine with some girl. The cowboy insisted that he dated for awhile to add excitement in his life, but Zell would turn him down everyday and everyday, Irvine would bring a new girl for him to date. What is he, the host of that 'Blind Date' show? He grasped his hand around the steel knob, thinking about hunting Irvine down before he could pick up anymore girls and opened the door, glaring at his expecting visitor, but his expression changed when he noticed what the door had revealed. It was Selphie, with her smile that always brightened everyone's mood.  
  
"Hi- Z-.... um...." She paused from her hyperness and stared at Zell, looking at him up and down. Her eyes traveled from his bare feet, stopping at his chest. She quickly pulled her eyes away from him and cleared her throat. "I'm sorry if I interrupted you with anything, Zell. I'll come back when you're done changing," she said, her cheeks bright red.  
  
"Huh?" He arched an eyebrow, then looked at himself. His face turned the darkest red that you could ever see, placing his arms across his chest to cover himself. He had forgotten to put some clothes one. "Sorry about that... um... I'll be right back." He closed the door, the redness never leaving his cheeks. He could hear Selphie trying to stifle a giggle on the other side of the door. He couldn't help but smile at himself. 'She's so cute when she laughs!' he thought in his head.  
  
  
A few minutes later, Zell opened the door once again. He was dressed in his usual attire, a blue vest overlapping a grey t-shirt and jean shorts with running shoes and white socks. His tattooe, still marked on the right side of his face never faded. He grinned when he saw Selphie walking towards him. She has been sitting on the bench across from his room, waiting for him, fully clothed this time.  
  
Selphie waved, trying not to picture Zell and his broad chest. "Hey um..." she paused. 'Great, Selphie! You just see a guy with no shirt on and now you're cracking up!' She took a deep breath and forced another smile on her face. "I was wondering if..." She took another breath. Why was it so hard to speak? After all, this is Zell, her best friend in the whole wide world!   
  
Zell looked at her. "Are you all right, Seff?" He could tell Selphie was still shocked. Why wouldn't she? He just gave her a strip show just now, of course she would be shocked!   
  
Selphie nodded, forcing another genuine smile. "Are you busy right now, Zell?"  
  
Zell shook his head. "Nah, I was just ready to close my eyes, no biggie."  
  
"Oh." She felt bad already for staring at Zell's chest and now she feels bad for waking him up from his sleep. "I'm sorry," she said.  
  
Zell shook his head again. "Oh, don't be. I was just resting my eyes for a second, you know, just laying on my bed. You didn't bother me at all."   
  
'Not at all, Selphie,' he added in his head.   
  
Selphie grinned. Zell was a very forgiving person. That's what she likes about him. He is such a sweet guy! "Well, I'm recruiting more members for my Garden Festival committee and I was wondering if you could help me prepare for the graduation that's coming up!" Her bright smile returned.  
  
Is it close to next year already? He almost forgot that they have one more week until May, which meant preparations for the graduation of the new SeeDs, which meant the SeeD ball. The Senior SeeDs were welcome to attend and Selphie was in charge of the whole event, eventhough she's a senior now. Cid made it an 'okay' to have some of the seniors help out with the Garden Festival, since not many Junior SeeDs joined the Committee. Zell looked down on the hopeful eyes of Selphie. Her emerald eyes were so bright and inviting, that Zell couldn't help but agree to help out.  
  
"For you? Of course! 'Sides, there's nothing else to do." Zell said, cheerily. He smiled.  
  
Selphie's eyes widened. Zell is actually going to help her? Maybe it was just his way to get out of boredom. She planted both her fists on her hips and wagged a finger towards the blond. "Did you agree to help me so you got something to do?"  
  
'No, I did it just for you,' he thought. Zell shrugged. "Yeah, so?"  
  
Selphie giggled. She wrapped her arms around him and hugged him, jumping up and down excitedly. "Oh, thank you! Thank you! You are such a sweetheart! We have a meeting today at six o'clock! Don't be late!" She released her arms from around him and turned around, his back facing her. She glanced over her shoulder and smiled, before walking away, back towards the the Committee meeting place. The stage.  
  
"I won't," saying it more to himself, rather than towards Selphie. Zell sighed, watching her go. Selphie had captured his heart and he has no idea how long he can hold his feelings any longer. He loved her and there was no mistaking it. They have been friends for a long time. Longer, if you add that time back in the orphanage. Selphie defended him when Seifer teased him and called him names. At times, it was Selphie who pushed Seifer down when the blond went too far as to pushing Zell down on the ground. He smiled at that thought. They were friends, yes, but Zell wanted it to be more than that. Many times he tried to tell her and many times he failed, afraid of being rejected.  
  
He turned his back on the disappearing girl and faced the door, opening it fully in front of him. He pushed the door, stepped inside and closed the door behind him. The meeting was only two hours away.  
  
  
  
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"All right everyone! This is our plan for the ball!" He watched her put two ribbons, gold and green together, setting them side by side and put it up higher for all the members to see. When she saw him, she smiled and waved with one hand.  
  
Zell nodded, his way of greeting when he wasn't thinking straight and walked over to the group of young men and women. He sat on a chair at the front, closer to Selphie. He watched her walk over to the table behind her, pulling out a red ribbon, then placing it beside the green one in her hands.   
  
"What do you guys think of this one?" Selphie asked, her smile beaming brighter.   
  
Zell looked around him. Everyone suddenly turned towards each other and whispering to each other about the ribbon. He could hear people say that the red and green looked 'Christmas-sy' or that red and green never look together. He prefer green and gold, not that he knew everything about colour co-ordination. No...o... he doesn't!  
  
"I like green and gold together," the blond man spoke, looking up at Selphie.  
  
Selphie seemed surprised, as she looked down and stared at him. All eyes turned towards him, watching and waiting for him to explain why gold and green looked together. Zell didn't know what to say. He didn't want to say the real reason. Green had the colour of her eyes and the gold had the colour of her usual yellow dress when it shone underneath the sunlight. It seemed gold to him when it did.  
  
Selphie smiled at him, then grabbed the gold and green together and showed them to the group. "I think gold and green would be nice, don't you think?"  
  
Everyone nodded, showing their approval on the two colours. When she saw several nods, Selphie put the ribbons down and leaned towards Zell. She winked at him, patted him on the back and smiled. "Great job, Zell!" She gave him one last smile, then walked over to the same table.   
  
"Gee, Zell, I had no idea you were so into colours these days." He was startled to hear a very familiar voice whisper beside him. He turned his head to his right, towards Irvine who tipped his hat at the side when he said something clever. He was too busy eyeing Selphie that he didn't notice Irvine there. Selphie must have given him her puppy dog eyes, a way of getting her friends to join the Committee.  
  
Zell smirked and folded his arms across his chest. He slapped Irvine in the back, so hard that it almost forced Irvine to fall forward. "I see Selphie did the puppy dog on you, eh?"  
  
Irvine smiled, sitting back up and fixing his stetson on his head. He rolled his eyes and shook his head. "Hey man, I went on my own. 'Sides, it wasn't Selphie who got me to go, it was the women here that forced me to. Man, can you believe the number of girls here?" He looked around and winked at one girl flirtatiously, who giggled and turned to her friend beside her to whisper something. "I'd be a lucky if I was the only guy here with all these girls."  
  
Zell rolled his eyes. "Well, you're even luckier if you weren't dating Selphie anymore, then she would've beaten you silly." He leaned back on his chair and grinned. "Is this the only reason why you came?" he asked, hoping it wasn't the reason he was thinking of. Irvine could still be in love with Selphie, but what does he know? He'll have to check.  
  
"Of course!" he replied, lifting his arms at his side. "Speaking of which..." He put his arms down and looked at Zell. "What's your reason of coming here? Wait! I know!"  
  
He does?  
  
Irvine looked around. "There's a particular girl here you like, right? She's somewhere here, isn't she?"   
  
Zell didn't answer, which confirmed Irvine that there is a girl in the committee he wanted to date. However, it wasn't the girl Irvine was thinking of. The cowboy stretched his neck farther like a crane and looked at the very back of the room. He spotted someone, but Zell couldn't care less. The blond man already spotted someone he wanted. He watched her move from one place to another, trying to decide which colour went with what colour. She laughed when one of male members made a joke about the silver garlands in her hands. He loved her laugh. Everyday, when she laughed like that, it cheered his heart, always gave him wings to fly when he saw her smile.   
  
"Ah hah!" Irvine silently yelled, staring at Zell. Zell quickly took his eyes off of Selphie and glanced at Irvine. The cowboy smirked and nodded towards Selphie. "Hey, man I had no idea you liked her that much!"  
  
"Who?"  
  
Irvine rolled his eyes and folded his arms across his chest. He lifted one leg and rested it over the other. "You know who I'm talking about!" He leaned towards him. "All that smiles must have hypnotized you!"  
  
Zell looked at him, wide eyed. "Is it that obvious?"  
  
Irvine snorted. "Hell yeah! Even the shores of Balamb know what you're thinking right now!" He patted his back, much harder than Zell gave him earlier and forced the blond man to stumble forward and fall on his face.   
  
Everyone started laughing.  
  
"My God, Zell! Are you okay?" Selphie went to him. Reaching down, she helped him on his feet. Zell, once up, fixed his shirt and glared at Irvine, who just grinned mischeviously up at him.   
  
Zell looked at Selphie and nodded. "Yeah, I'm fine. I think I better go," he said. He turned around and walked away, missing the disappointment on Selphie's face. Irvine and the rest of the members watched him go.  
  
Selphie took a deep breath and gave Irvine an icy glare. "What was that for?"  
  
Irvine grinned. He felt sorry for doing that. He thought, maybe if he did that, Selphie would come and help him up, then that would be Zell's cue to ask her out. She did come over and help him up, but he never expected Zell to walk away just like that. Maybe it was the curious eyes of all the people present there.  
  
"Sorry, I'll go after him," he said. The cowboy stood up and walked out the door to the main hallway.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
GoodGurl: Hi y'all! I hope you like this one! Wow! Zell having a crush on Selphie? Is it really a crush or just a feeling? What Irvine did was stupid, but did it really show Selphie's feelings as well? You know, when she was disappointed when he turned around and walked away? Soon, my friends, you'll find out! See ya! 


	4. Sunrise

Note: Hi! Hi! Sorry for the long awaited continuation of your favourite story! I appreciate all your reviews and honest opinions! Thanx again! I'm hoping for feedbacks from you people! Okay, I realized that other couples are boring, so I'll just stick to the three 'cause it'll take too long to do the rest of the couples until I continue to the other ones.   
  
  
Chapter 4 - Sunrise   
  
  
~ The words that came from her lips stung him and cut him into millions of pieces knowing deep down inside that it was the truth.  
  
  
  
He opened his eyes weakly, trying to rethink what happened, but all the memories were a blur to him. He had a pounding headache that screamed in his veins, ready to pop out of his nostrils. At times, he felt hot, then felt cold and then in between. He didn't know what he was feeling, but he felt nauseated.  
  
A ray of sun peeked through the opened window and kissed his fatigued form underneath the blanket.  
  
Moaning, he lifted himself up into a sitting position and looked around the room, feeling dizzy and tired. Around him he noticed a small white table beside the bed, a desk on his left side of the wall filled with books and paper and an opened bathroom door in front of him.   
  
"Good morning, Seifer," a soft feminine voice spoke. He turned to his right where a very familiar woman sat on a chair on the bedside. Her long dark hair shimmered in the sunlight and her eyes gazed up to meet his. She smiled, placing a hand on his. "How are you feeling?"  
  
He laid his head back down on the pillow and sighed. He placed a hand on his forehead and looked up at the ceiling. "I feel like crap, Matron," he replied.  
  
Edea nodded, squeezing his hand gently. "I'm just glad you're all right."  
  
"Where the hell am I?" He put his hand back down on the soft mattress and turned his head towards the mother figure of the Matron.  
  
"You're in Quistis' room," she answered.  
  
Seifer's eyes widened. He heard a door opening and he turned his head to his right, noticing a blond figure walking in. She closed the door with her foot and walked across the room. In her hand she held a tray where a small black bottle and a spoon laid still. "Oh, you're awake," she said, with no enthusiastic tone in her voice, whatsoever. She walked over to her desk and put the tray down, then turned to face him, folding her arms across her chest.  
  
The blond man looked at Quistis, then at Edea, each giving him his curious look. "What the hell? What am I doing in Quistis' room?"   
  
Edea stroked Seifer's hand with her thumb, her smile never fading from her beautiful face. Every time Seifer looked at her, she seemed younger by the minute, never showing any signs of wrinkles or tiredness the way elderly people have. "She had to drag you all the way here by herself when she found you out in the rain."  
  
Seifer looked at Quistis, then turned his attention on his naked form. He lifted up his blanket and looked at himself. He smirked. "I see. And it seems Quistis didn't hesitate to take off all my clothes." He gazed up at her.  
  
Quistis' eyes widened. Her cheeks became flushed with red. She looked away, trying to hide the embarrassment on her face, but Seifer already saw that. "I had no other choice, Seifer. I had to.... do that because you were feverish."  
  
Seifer smirked, satisfied for what he had accomplished... embarrass the hell out of Quistis Trepe. He folded his arms across his bare chest and grinned evilly. "Did you have a good peep show?"  
  
Quistis jerked her head towards him, a golden colour of tresses flying across her face and landing smoothly on her shoulders. She gave him the best looking glare she can give someone. It was an exception, since this was, after all, Seifer Almasy. "No, there was nothing interesting to look at!" she fired back.   
  
"That's enough you two!" Edea yelled. Surprised by her sudden outburst, both blondes turned their heads to an angry Matron sitting on the chair. She removed her hands from Seifer and stood up. She looked down at Seifer. "Quistis gave all her strenght to bring you here Seifer and you don't even thank her for it!" She clenched her fists at her sides.  
  
Seifer turned away from her, keeping his arms folded. He kept his mouth shut.  
  
Edea sighed. "You're acting like children! It's bad enough that I had to put up with your bickering over small little things when you were children and I don't want to put up with it again!" She looked at both blondes. "I will go talk to Cid about admitting you back to Garden Seifer."  
  
Seifer lifted up his hands in front of him, his palms facing away from him. "Woah! Woah! Who said anything about me going back to Garden?"  
  
The dark haired woman looked down. "Isn't that the reason why you're here in the first place?"  
  
He didn't answer. Is that the reason? He wasn't sure of it himself. Giving no answer, he turned away and placed his eyes upon the window. The sun moved higher over their heads, shining brightly around the shadowed room. The golden rays touched his honey tresses, mimicking the colour of the strands on his head. He blocked the sunlight with his hand and pursed his lips together, unsure what to say.  
  
"I'll be back as soon as I get an answer," Edea spoke up after a minute of silence. She turned around and walked out of the room, without another word.  
  
When the dark haired woman was gone, Quistis looked down on the still form of Seifer Almasy. He had a frown on his face, watching as the sun appeared over the horizon and shining his hair even brighter. She sat down on the bed and, to Seifer's surprise, placed the back of her hand on his forehead.   
  
Seifer slapped her hand away and sneered at her. "What the hell are you doing?!" he hissed.  
  
The blond woman looked at her, astonished by his bitter tone. "I'm checking your temperature," she replied coolly.  
  
"Well, don't you have a thermometer for that?" He moved an inch away from her and protectively covered his bare chest with the blanket.   
  
Quistis shook her head. "Some thermometers are inaccurate and the best way to check is to feel the person's forehead." She lifted up her hand, waiting for Seifer to let her feel his forehead.  
  
Seifer smirked and nodded, telling her it was all right now. "You sound like a dictionary," he commented.  
  
The blond woman moved closer and placed her hand back on his head. "A dictionary who saved your life," she replied. She felt a burning sensation on his forehead and that's when she knew it was time. She removed her hand from him and glanced at her watch. "You're burning up again, it's time for your medicine." She stood up and walked over to her desk where the small bottle and a spoon waited for her.  
  
His eyes glowed. Waving his hands, he shook his head in defiance. "A medicine? Hell no!"  
  
Ignoring his protests, Quistis opened the bottle, picked it up, picked up the spoon and poured the content in the spoon. Slowly, she walked over to the bed. "You need to take this every eight hours." Seifer was about to protest when she shoved the spoon into Seifer's mouth. She took out the spoon from his mouth and put the spoon back on the tray, then closed the bottle's lid tightly. She turned around and watched him trying to swallow the medicine down.  
  
It was about a minute until Seifer finally swallowed the whole liquid. He grimaced as the taste made contact with his taste bud and wiped his mouth with his arm. He looked up and glared at the grinning Quistis. "You bitch!" He gagged and clawed at his tongue, thinking it was the only way to get the taste out.  
  
"What a baby," she murmured. Quistis rolled her eyes and reached over to her desk to pick up the apple laying near her books. The apple was going to be her breakfast before she left for her class, but... She handed the apple to Seifer. She wasn't all that hungry anyway. "Here eat this. It'll take the taste away from your mouth."  
  
Seifer grabbed the apple from her hand and desperately and hungrily ate the apple with one bite. After he was finished, he tossed the apple core on the bed and glared up at the blond again. "You should've warned me it would taste like poison!"  
  
"If I did, then you wouldn't have taken it," she retorted. She glanced at her watch. "Well, I have class right now, so I'll just be heading." She picked up all her important books and paper from the desk and turned to leave, when Seifer's tired voice stopped her.   
  
"Instructor," he called.  
  
Quistis turned around to face him. She shook her head. "Don't call me that. I'm not your Instructor anymore, Call me Quistis."  
  
Seifer winced. He feels awkward calling her by her first name. He's always been used to calling her Instructor and nothing more. He opened his mouth to speak. "Q- Trepe," he said.  
  
Quistis rolled her eyes. "Well, that's an improvement. Add 'wistis' and you got my name right."  
  
"Does that mean you've forgiven me? I mean you did bring me all the way here...." He paused. What the hell is he doing asking this pathetic question. He scratched the back of his neck nervously.  
  
Quistis was taken aback. Seifer? Nervous? Since when? She put on her best Instructor posture and looked at him. "I wouldn't say I forgive you, Seifer and if I said it I would be lying to you. For now, I'll tolerate your presence, but I can't accept it." She turned and leave, closing the door behind her, leaving him baffled.  
  
Snorting, Seifer turned his head towards the window and thought about what she said. She was right after all. Why should she forgive him? After all, he did almost kill everyone in Garden. The words that came from her lips stung him and cut him into millions of pieces knowing deep down inside that it was the truth. He looked out the window and noticed the sun greeted him with another kiss on the face. He took a deep breath, taking in the wonderful feeling of the warm sun and closed his eyes to sleep.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
GoodGurl: Like ouch! Quistis is so mean, but she does hate him tho after what he did. Who wouldn't hate him for that? Make no mistake tho, I love Seifer. He's an awesome and *sigh!* I loved his smile at the end. Anyway, what'd you guys think? Please r/r! 


	5. Stars Show

Note: I'm taking a little break from this! But I will continue for your guy's sake! I'm hoping for more reviews, please? Anyway, a Squinoa to those Squinoa fans!  
  
  
Chapter 5 - Stars Show  
  
  
  
~...she looked once again into Squall's eyes and she could see it raging up in his handsome face like a running river that continues to flow through his veins.  
  
  
  
  
  
They held each other's hand as long as they could promise each other that they would be together forever. They held on to that love for six weeks and those six weeks have been magical for him as they walked down the empty path behind Garden. Usually, many students with friends walk down this path and chat amongst each other, but this morning it was Squall and Rinoa's turn to be alone. No one else was around and certainly no one to bother them. They turned a corner, their hands still held with real love. They spotted a bench nearby and decided to sit down.  
  
  
"Squall?" Rinoa looked up and smiled. "Did you mean what you said?"  
  
Squall glanced at her, the sun brightly gleaming above their heads. Even with the bright sunlight, Squall could still see Rinoa's beautiful porcelain face. He simply nodded, pursing his lips together.  
  
Rinoa smiled, moving closer towards him. She rested her head on his shoulder and closed her eyes. No one else would bother them now. It would just be the two of them and Squall... Squall finally said that he loved her! What a wonderful morning.  
  
  
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They spent a few more minutes in the back of Garden until they finally went back inside. Rinoa linked arms with Squall, walking down the hall and resting her head on his shoulder. Squall didn't mind all the interaction. He loved her and there was no point in hiding it now.   
  
Some students passing by saw them, waved their hands and said 'good morning!' to them before they went on their way. Some, mostly girls watched them with awe and envy. They whispered to each other as they passed by, whispering how 'cute' they looked together and how relaxed Squall looked as they held hands.   
  
"Most guys don't like that kind of interaction stuff!" one female student whispered to her friend. The whisper, even though it was meant to be between them was heard by the two as they walked by. Squall couldn't help but feel slightly uncomfortable when she said that.  
  
Her friend nodded. "Yeah! And boy does he look casual! I wish I had a boy friend like that!"  
  
Squall ignored the comments, of course, but Rinoa giggled. The confused man looked down on the laughing girl and arched an eyebrow at her. "What's so funny?" he asked. He stopped walking to look at her.  
  
Rinoa removed her head from his shoulder and looked up, stiffling her giggle with a hand over her mouth. "They envy us, Squall!"  
  
"Yeah, so?"  
  
Rinoa removed her hand from her mouth and pulled him towards her. She took his hand in hers and began pulling him with her as they continued to walk down the hall, wherever, whenever. "Well...." Rinoa whispered. She looked around, hoping no one else was listening and leaned against him. "I like it."  
  
"You do?" Squall wrapped an arm around her shoulders, while the other one was entwined with Rinoa's fingers. "Why?" He couldn't understand it. Why would Rinoa like the envy of others? Sometimes he can never understand her, but does he ever love her to death. He'll never let her go and he will never ever let anyone hurt her.  
  
Rinoa shrugged. "I dunno.... I guess I've never had anyone feel that way about me. I've always envied other people, but they have never been envy of me for having such a sweet boy friend!" She sighed and rested her head again on his shoulder.  
  
".....whatever," Squall said, a sign of redness marked on his face.   
  
Rinoa couldn't help but smile. She knew that Squall liked it when she said that and, knowing him, he just hid his true feelings underneath his favourite word 'whatever,' and kept his face as calm as always.  
  
"Hey, Rin!" Rinoa and Squall looked up and saw a young man about their age walking towards them. He was about Squall's height, wearing a Garden uniform and had dark dark hair like Rinoa's. He waved towards them, but mostly towards Rinoa and stopped in front of them, gasping for breath.  
  
"Jotham... are you all right?" Rinoa released herself from Squall and walked up to the young man.   
  
Jotham nodded. "Yes, I'm fine. Can you help me with something? It'll be for just a second."  
  
Rinoa looked over her shoulder towards Squall who stood there, his face expressionless, then turned back towards the young man. "Well..."  
  
"Please?" Jotham had a pleading look on his eyes. He grabbed her hand without her consent and pulled her with him towards the boy's dorms. "I need to finish this assignment so much and I need your help with it."  
  
Squall's eyes burned in anger. Rinoa turned to face him, mumbled "I'll be right back," and let the desperate man pull her. As usual, Squall just nodded, saying nothing. He clenched and unclenched his fists. His face burned with frustration and his feet shuffled uncomfortably. How can that guy just take her hand like and pull her with him? He took a deep breath, told himself to calm down and assured himseld that Rinoa was coming back.  
  
  
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It was close to eleven, when Rinoa finally appeared from behind the corner alongside Jotham. She was laughing and smiling when Squall first saw her after a few hours of wondering where she went. He stood up from his spot on the bench and walked to her, Jotham still trailing beside her. Rinoa waved and ran up to him, giving him a loving hug.   
  
She pointed a thumb behind her, towards Jotham. "This guy is lucky that I have patience. He had so much work to do on that project Selphie gave him for the SeeD ball that I had to do all the work!" Rinoa punched Jotham playfully in the arm.  
  
Squall watched them, feeling like grinding his teeth to bits, but wouldn't. He didn't want to get too worked up over something so small. "I'll bet," he mumbled.  
  
"What was that?" Rinoa looked at him, unaware of Squall's bitter tone.  
  
Squall shook his head. "I said, that's bad."  
  
Jotham looked at him. "Why is that bad?"  
  
Squall shrugged. He took Rinoa's hand and pulled her to him gently, then wrapped his arm around her shoulders. Rinoa giggled and kissed him on the cheek. She missed the glare that Squall gave Jotham. "Because you should have started your project a long time ago without having to ask anyone to help you. Especially Rinoa!"   
  
"Squall!" Rinoa looked up. She saw it this time. She saw the bitterness in his voice, the eyes that turned into small slits whenever Jotham gazed up at Rinoa or gave any type of glance. Any of those, brought Squall to clench his fists. That's when she knew Squall was jealous. 'There's nothing to be jealous about!' she thought. 'He shouldn't be too worried!' After all, Jotham was just her friend and nothing more! She loved Squall! But, as she looked once again into Squall's eyes and she could see it raging up in his handsome face like a running river that continues to flow through his veins.  
  
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"What was that about?" Rinoa asked, when Jotham had finally left. She pulled her chair closer to the table and looked at Squall. The room was quiet while people turned their attention on their books to study. None of them were paying attention to the couple sitting at the very back of the library, chatting with each other.  
  
Squall folded his arms across his chest and turned his eyes away from her. "I was having a conversation."  
  
Rinoa sighed. "You don't talk to anyone like that."  
  
Squall looked at her, then turned away. "....whatever." How can Rinoa defend that creep?  
  
The dark haired girl reached out and took Squall's hand. "Don't be jealous. Jotham and I are just friends."  
  
The brunette shook his head. "Who said anything about me being jealous?"  
  
Rinoa giggled. "I can see it in your face, Squall. You were jealous."  
  
Squall removed his hand from her and looked away. "....whatever."  
  
"But you have to believe me Squall that he and I are just friends. There's no reason for you to get jealous." She stood up and sat down beside him. "I mean aren't I your star?" Her face became darkened with desire. Her true sorceress self appeared. She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed his cheek. "Aren't I your Princess? Your sweet little Princess?"  
  
Squall gently removed her arms from around his neck and looked at Rinoa worriedly, but as he did so, Rinoa's face became Rinoa again. The smile appeared on her face and the person inside her who made her seem different disappeared, but for how long? He nodded.  
  
Rinoa smiled and leaned closer to wrap her arms around his neck. She rested her head on his chest and sighed. "You're my star, Squall. You became the brightest star and showed me the way back to the light, back to myself again." She closed her eyes and heard Squall's heart beating in her ears. "Thank you for being there," she whispered.  
  
  
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"Rin?" he whispered in her ear.  
  
"Hm?" She opened her eyes and looked up at him. Rubbing her eyes with the back of her hands, she removed her head from his chest and looked around. "What time is it?"  
  
"It's lunch time. Want to go get something to eat?"  
  
Her stomach grumbled and she couldn't help but laugh.   
  
Squall looked down at her stomach and smiled. "I guess your growling stomach answered the question for me." He stood up and lend a hand out towards her.  
  
Rinoa took it and stood up. She placed a hand on his face and smiled. Squall smiled back.  
  
Without another word, Squall and Rinoa left the library hand in hand. Their stomachs grumbled, moaning and asking for food.   
  
Passing a few students in the hallway, they walked inside the cafeteria and made their way to a table, one that is far away from the crowd and one that kept people from looking at them and they found that one spot by the window. There were no other students sitting there or around the tables that surrounded that one particular table, so they decided to pick that one.   
  
"What do you want for lunch?" Squall asked, when they both seated themselves on the table. He noticed people staring at them, but decided to ignored the curious looks they were giving them.   
  
Rinoa sighed. She placed an elbow on the table and rested her chin on her upward palms. She looked into Squall's ocean blue eyes. "I don't know. What's good?"  
  
Squall shrugged. "I'll go look." He stood up and left.  
  
Rinoa watched him stop behind the line that formed, watching the menus attached to the wall. She hadn't noticed someone sat down and took Squall's place. Startled, she looked up and saw a young man looking at her with a concerned expression on his face.  
  
"May I help you?" she asked.  
  
The young man looked over his shoulder to make sure Squall wasn't coming and turned his attention back to Rinoa. "I heard Squall got angry and hit Jotham hard in the face. What's up with that?"  
  
Rinoa looked at him. "What are you talking about?" She removed her chin from her palms and stared at the young woman for an answer. She was suddenly aware of it.  
  
"It's been rumoured that Squall got so jealous and hit Jotham square in the face."  
  
Rinoa chuckled. "It's a rumour Tyker. Why would you believe something like that? Besides, I was there and nothing happened."  
  
Tyker shrugged. "I dunno. I believe whatever my friends tell me." He looked over his shoulder again and saw Squall coming over. He stood up and walked back to his company of friends sitting just a few tables away. He glanced over at Squall, who saw him talk to Rinoa and looked at him with malice in his eyes. Gulping, he pried his eyes away from the older man and sat down, his heart beating ten times faster than the speed of light. He has never been frightened all his life, but why should he? This was Squall Leonheart and he was the hero who saved the world from Ultimaecia's grasp.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
GoodGurl: What is wrong with Squall? Why is he acting like such a jealous boy friend? Well, it goes to show how love affects him, eh? Anyway, stay tuned to the next upcoming chapters! Please r/r! Thanx! ;) 


	6. Ribbons?! What's with the ribbons?!

Note: What ever happened when Zell left after that embarrassing moment earlier? This, my friends is another installment of the Zelphie romance! Don't worry, Queifer fans, their coming up soon. I want more reviews tho, please? Oh well, I tried.   
  
  
Chapter 6 - Ribbons?! What's with the ribbons?!   
  
  
  
"That was really embarrassing, Irvine! Why do you have to be such a jackass?!" Zell clenched his fists and punched the wall so hard that it left a hole in the middle. No blood dripped on his fingers. If only Irvine heard that, but he wasn't there.   
  
Cursing to himself, he leaned back on his bed and closed his eyes. Of course, he couldn't say those things to Irvine. Irvine was his best friend after all. "But... did he really have the right to do that?" he asked himself. If Irvine was his best friend, why would his best friend do something like that?  
  
He heard a knock on the door. He really didn't feel like talking to anyone right now, especially Irvine.   
  
Slamming a pillow on his face, he groaned and yelled, "Go away!" through the door.   
  
"It's me, Zell," a feminine voice spoke.  
  
'Selphie' he thought. Removing his pillow away from his face, he sat up quickly and ran towards the door, only to trip on something hard. Scowling, he stood up and once again, felt something hard trip him, this time, bruising his shins. He closed his mouth tight to prevent himself from screaming and clutched at his leg.   
  
On the other side of the door, Selphie could hear a loud 'thump!' another loud 'thump' and someone groaning and mumbling. She knocked gently on the door again.  
  
"Are you all right in there, Zell?" she asked.  
  
She heard another loud 'thump!' before the door finally opened. Selphie's eyes widened at Zell's condition. His hair was disheveled and his shirt was ready to be untucked. She wanted to laugh at his state, when she noticed his bruised shins.   
  
"Oh my goodness, Zell! Are you all right?" She kneeled down to touch his shin, only to recieve a wince from him. Selphie looked over his shoulder towards a bedroom full of Irvine's stuff and his stuff all mixed in one. There was Irvine's bullet box laying right in front of Zell's bed, Zell's shoes right after it and then a.... rock? Was laying right by Zell's shoes. She couldn't help but giggle.   
  
Zell looked at her. "What's so funny?"  
  
"No wonder I could hear a stampede in there, because a herd of elephants were frightened by your messy room!" She smiled, then suddenly her face fell into a serious expression. "Did.... Irvine talk to you?"  
  
Zell shook his head.  
  
Selphie rolled her eyes. "I'm sorry about that, Zell. Irvine can be a jerk sometimes."  
  
The blond shook his head and waved a hand. "Nah, I'm used to it already." The truth was, he wasn't. Irvine can be very idiotic sometimes and what happened earlier was something that Irvine has never done. That was something different. Everyday, Irvine would just find a way to get attention. But what hurt him the most was... did he have to embarrass him in front of Selphie?" On his way here, he probably found some girls and went after them."   
  
Zell glanced over his shoulder and shrugged, turning his attention towards Selphie. She had a wonderful smile and he couldn't help but laugh back. Running a hand through his blond hair, Zell leaned his back on the doorway and folded his arms across his chest. "What is it, Selphie?"  
  
Selphie smiled. She produced two ribbons, one gold and one green from behind her back and showed it to him. "When you left, people started talking about you and the colours you picked." She dangled the ribbons in front of him in the air, until Zell finally took it from her hand.   
  
"You mean these colours?" Unfolding his arms, he looked at the ribbons carefully. They do look good, but not in reasons he wanted to tell anyone about. He gazed down at Selphie, who pouted and folded her arms across her chest. Zell snorted. "You want this back, or something?"  
  
"As a matter of fact... I do!" Selphie reached up to grab it back from the blond, but Zell just lifted his arm higher, out of Selphie's reach, teasing her. It took a couple more tries, until Selphie finally gave up. She glared at him. "I want it back Zell Dincht!"  
  
Zell laughed, finally putting down his arm to give it to him. He knew when she glared at him, it was just an act. Selphie could never get angry like that. She was too sweet for her taste. "So... they like the colours I picked, huh?"  
  
Selphie nodded, putting the ribbons back inside her back pocket of her yellow dress. "Yeah. And we have another meeting tomorrow at nine o'clock."  
  
The blond was taken aback. "Why so early?" he asked.  
  
The brunette shuffled her feet uncomfortably. "Well.... we already have our ribbons picked so.... we're starting the decorating bright and early tomorrow! Isn't that exciting?"  
  
"What?" He couldn't believe it! Why did he have to open his big mouth to what colour? The colours were something he liked because they both reminded him of her! He slapped a hand on his forehead. 'I am such a doofus!' he thought.  
  
Selphie noticed his distress. She placed a hand on his shoulder and looked up at him. "Are you all right, Zell?"  
  
Zell didn't hear her. 'What are they going to say when they found out that I picked the colours because of her?! They'll laugh at me and look at me like an obsessed geek! I am such an idiot!'  
  
"Zell?" The blond man blinked. He had forgotten Selphie was still standing there and staring at him with a worried look. "What's the matter?"  
  
"Oh uh.............. nothing." He didn't like lying to Selphie.   
  
Selphie smiled, her worries disappearing. She looked down on the ground, unsure how to ask him. "Zell? Um......"  
  
Zell looked at her. "Selph.... did you say you picked my colours?"   
  
"Yeah," Selphie answered. "Um... Zell, I have a question and I think-"  
  
"Are you sure? I mean it's something that I..... like.... personally...."  
  
"Oh really? Well, that's all right. What I'm trying to say is-"  
  
"Um.... I uh... I better go!" Without giving her a chance to say anything, Zell closed the door, leaving her dumbfounded and confused. Did he just slam the door in front of her?   
  
Selphie slouched her shoulders and frowned. 'That was a stupid idea in the first place! I mean, he doesn't like me as a girl friend!! Just a friend! Best friend! Nothing else would come out of it! Not even romantic feelings!' She rubbed the back of her neck angrily and removed the ribbons from her pocket, throwing it in the trash can.  
  
Zell closed his eyes. Did he just do that? How can he slam the door in front of her?   
  
Realization suddenly kicking in, he opened the door again, hoping she was still there, but as he looked out, she was already gone. Zell closed the door behind him and closed his eyes in frustration.  
  
'I have to do something! What is wrong with me? She's my best friend! I shouldn't have these feelings for her!' Slamming the door, he walked over to his bed and slammed the same pillow as before down at his face. "She's my best friend and........ she, okay THEY picked my colours! Uggh! They're going to think I'm a total loser when they find out!"  
  
  
****************  
  
"Are you sure you don't like these two?" her friend asked.  
  
She nodded. "Yeah. I mean, they don't even go together." To her they do. Green reminded her of Zell's eyes and gold reminded her of Zell's hair the way it is when it's golden under the sun. But if she kept the colours, it'll keep reminding her of Zell and it'll keep reminding her of the way she was rejected. Well, he didn't actually reject her, but she felt that way when he slammed the door at her face!  
  
"Selphie?"  
  
The brunette looked up. "Huh?"  
  
"I asked you if there were anymore backup colours to work on tomorrow?"  
  
She shook her head. "No, there's nothing else, except for the blue and purple."  
  
Her friend grimaced. "Blue and............. purple? It reminds me of Barnie, if you ask me."  
  
Selphie laughed. "Well, if you don't like that colour, then we might as well pick something else."  
  
Her friend looked at the choices of ribbons inside the box. She reached in and took out one that she finally picked. "What about this colour?"  
  
"Red?"  
  
"Yeah, I mean red and blue always go together."  
  
"Yeah, but they are too common," Selphie replied.  
  
Her friend frowned, tossing the ribbon back inside the box. "You're right," she agreed.  
  
Selphie leaned back on her chair and sighed. "Well...." She peeked inside the box, took out any two colours and stared at it blankly. "I guess we have to start all over again."  
  
  
****************  
  
  
"Hey Zell!" He heard a knock on the door. He tossed and turned, not bothering to answer the door, when it opened by itself. Zell removed the pillow slightly away from his face, only to be looking at a pair of boots.   
  
"Go away, Irvine!" Zell moaned, turning away from him.   
  
Irvine sat down on the bed and shook him violently. "Hey man! I think it's time you ask her out!"  
  
The blond smacked Irvine with a pillow, but Irvine just grabbed it away from him, tossing it behind him. He slapped Zell's back with his gloved hand. "There's no point in crying in misery for what I did to you. I'm really sorry for that, I am, but you have to grow up. Selphie really likes you."  
  
That got Zell's attention. He turned around, his face brightening in curiousity. "She does?" He sat up from bed and looked at Irvine. "She likes me? Really?"  
  
"Yeah man! She was the one who won your colour for you! I mean, there were the choices of red and purple, but when everyone else voted for yours, including her vote, your colour won!"  
  
"She said everyone liked the colour."  
  
Irvine rolled his eyes. "Duh! Everyone did, bro, but it was her who got you the winning vote!" He grabbed Zell's hand and pulled him up on his feet. He placed a hand on his shoulder and led him out the door. "What you need to do now is thank her and ask her out on a date!"  
  
Zell pulled away from him, turning around back towards the direction of his bed. Shaking his head, he paced back and forth in front of the bunk bed that they rarely used. "No way! Uh-uh! I can't ask her out! What if you're wrong? What if it was just a sign of friendship! After all, we are friends! I mean.... what if she rejects me, then I'll be a total loser! And-"  
  
"Zell!" Irvine yelled, getting annoyed with Zell's ranting.  
  
Zell stopped pacing and looked at him. "What?"  
  
"Shut up!" He wrapped an arm around Zell's shoulders and led him out the door, this time, with him tagging along. "I'll just walk with you until the ball room, where she will be. Once we get there, I want you to take a deep breath and go in there and ask her, all right?"  
  
Zell nodded, letting Irvine push him along the hallway. They stopped by the door of the ballroom when they got there. Zell glanced over his shoulder and looked at Irvine.  
  
"What am I suppose to do?"  
  
Irvine rolled his eyes and ran a hand across his face. 'This is going to be one long afternoon!' he thought.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
GoodGurl: Heh! Heh! Irvine... playing a matchmaker eh? That's something new! Of course, that's what Irvine's been trying to do to Zell, match him with someone! Now that he knows Zell likes Selphie, is there stopping Irvine's scheme to bring them together? I think not! I hoped you enjoyed it! As you can see, I made Zelphie funny, Queifer... so so and Squinoa............ dramatic! Stay tuned 'cause Queifer's next! 


	7. Burn Baby Burn

Author's note: All I'm going to say is..................it's a Queifer!  
  
  
  
Chapter 7 - Burn Baby Burn   
  
  
~ Is this the Squall she was looking at or a stranger who appeared in front of their eyes without them knowing existed?   
  
-Quistis  
  
  
She tapped the end of the pen on her desk, gently, trying not to tap too loud to disrupt her class writing a test. Sighing quietly, she leaned back on her chair and thought about what she just said to Seifer. It was true that she could only tolerate his presence in her room, but not REALLY accept it. However, a pang of guilt found itself in her heart. She couldn't help but feel regret about the things she said to him. She saw the pain in his eyes, yet she was too cold to even care and look closely, but she knew the words cut through him like a knife.   
  
She glanced at her watch. It was only close to eleven and her students have an hour left until lunch time. Biting her lower lip nervously, her mind kept referring back to Seifer and the condition she found him in. He was wet all over from the rain and blood soaked through his hands and jacket. She whipped her head gently from left to right, vividly shaking away the image out of her mind. With the presence of Seifer by the tree gone, she looked down on the finished homework assignments that were handed by the students this morning and began marking them.  
  
After a couple of seconds, when she finished marking the first paper, a shout startled her and the students from what they were doing.  
  
****************  
  
"Seifer!" Edea yelled. She placed a hand on Seifer's arm, forcing him to turn, but the blond just moaned and shoved Edea away from him, forcing her to stumble backwards and fall on her rear. Seifer seemed to have noticed it as he turned once to look at her with guilt.   
  
"I'm- I'm sorry Matron...." he murmured. Beads of never ending falling sweat poured madly from the sides of his face. His face were flushed with red. He furrowed his eyebrows worriedly, turned and never looked at her again as he continued to 'drunkenly' walk along the hallway.  
  
***************  
  
They all looked up, their eyes never prying away from the noise outside. Quistis stood up and looked at her students.  
  
Lifting a calming hand to her students, she said, "Please stay seated and don't let that noise interrupt you with your test writing. I'll go see what's going on." The shout she heard sounded like Edea.   
  
Taking another glance at her students, she stepped out of her classroom, only to find Edea sitting on the ground. She kept still on the floor.   
  
"Matron!" she called. Quistis ran towards the dark haired woman and kneeled beside her. She placed a hand on her shoulder, indicating she was with her.  
  
"Seifer!" Edea called, before turning her attention towards another blond. This time, female. "Quistis!"  
  
"What happened?" Quistis asked, looking at the older woman.  
  
Edea pointed towards Seifer, who seemed drunk from far away. Quistis followed her finger and saw him walking along the hallway. He swayed left and right, mumbling some things she could not understand. Quistis turned to Edea.  
  
"Stay here, Edea," Quistis whispered towards her beloved Matron. She stood up and ran after him. The blond man was dressed in his usual attire. Shaking her head, she thought out loud how he managed to find his clothes. Rolling her eyes she thought, 'Of course Seifer would have found it near the chair. He's not stupid!'  
  
Seifer was just turning around the corner, she noticed, as she ran after him, her Save the Queen tightly coiled in her belt. She was ready to grab it, as an attempt to bring Seifer down on his knees to prevent him from going anywhere, when Seifer smashed unto someone. She was running out of breath by the time she made it to the corner where he turned.  
  
"Woah!" she heard a familiar voice yell. She turned the corner this time, finding Seifer leaning against a very confused Irvine. He seemed surprised at first when someone bumped into him, but as he looked at the face of a very familiar enemy, he stared at the man with a confused look. He looked up and saw Quistis running towards them, panting and wheezing for breath. Irvine wrapped an arm around Seifer's waist to keep him steady and gazed up at Quistis questioningly.  
  
"Hold. Him. Still. Irvine," she said, gasping for breath. She placed a hand over her heart, paused for a minute and walked over to the two tall men. Irvine placed a hand over Seifer's forehead and suddenly jerked his hand away from him.  
  
Irvine looked at Quistis when she finally made it to them. "Woah, Quisty! He's burning up!"  
  
Quistis nodded. "Yes, I know that. That's why I don't want you to drop him or anything. He's suffering from a bad case of pneumonia for staying out in the rain too long." She went to Seifer's other side, opposite of Irvine and wrapped an arm around his waist. Irvine did the same, trying to steady the blond. "That's why we need to bring him to the Infirmary. I would have done that sooner, I know, but Doctor Kadowaki wasn't there."  
  
Irvine nodded. "Yeah. It's a good thing the Training Center closes at twelve now so no one will be staying up late to be wounded, otherwise, there would be no one else to take care of them but Doctor Kadowaki."   
  
Quistis agreed. Without Doctor Kadowaki's expertise in medical science, where would all of them be? Sighing, she helped Irvine drag a very alive, but conscious Seifer. They were turning slowly as the hallway made a curve turn, holding tightly unto Seifer, when an arm stopped them from going anywhere. Both Quistis and Irvine looked up to see an angry looking Squall staring at them, his blue pupils turning into thin slits.  
  
"What the hell is he doing here?!" Squall hissed, blocking Quistis' and Irvine's way. Rinoa stood beside him. She didn't seem surprised that Seifer was here, perhaps she already knew that he was here.   
  
Quistis sighed. This is what she was afraid of. Why did Seifer have to leave the room? "Squall, we need to take him to the infirmary fast!"  
  
"Yeah," Irvine spoke up. "And if we don't, I think I'm about to collapse here! I mean, this guy looks light, but boy does he ever have a large amount of weight! Besides, he's really on fire and I can feel it burning through my clothes!"  
  
Squall glared at Irvine, then looked at Quistis. He shook his head slowly, lifting up a finger towards the exit. "I want him out of here!"  
  
"What?" She looked at Rinoa, who looked down and said nothing, then at Squall. She couldn't believe it! Is Squall really that angry to throw out a very sick person? What is wrong with him? She closed her eyes. She was getting impatient. The longer she holds Seifer, the more she will have a bad back. "Listen, Squall, I know you still hate him for what he did and so does everyone, but that doesn't give us the right to just throw him out and leave him to die."  
  
Squall shook his head stubbornly. "I don't care what is right or wrong, Quistis. He did something wrong that almost killed Rinoa and he deserves to be out there with the rest of the worthless people!"  
  
Quistis couldn't believe her ears! Is this the Squall she was looking at or a stranger who appeared in front of their eyes without them knowing existed? Worthless people? Who are the worthless people is he talking about?   
  
The blond woman shook the thoughts out of her head and sneered at Squall. Her patience was walking away from her and she could feel herself burn in anger. "Squall, get out of our way or we'll force our way through!" Her voice grew louder and louder, showing her anger and her disappointment towards Squall.  
  
She didn't really want to do that to Squall. She loved him dearly, but enough was enough. When something or someone she loved made her as mad as she is now, there was nothing to do but push them away. He was too angry to even think right and she knew that, however he didn't.  
  
Still, Squall didn't move. He kept on his spot, right in front of them, arm raised to keep them from going anywhere.  
  
"Dammit, Squall! My neck is hurting here!" Irvine complained, looking up at their commander.  
  
"I order you two to let him go now!" Squall commanded.  
  
Quistis could feel Seifer shiver underneath his clothes. She could feel his chattering teeth, as if he was cold, eventhough the temperature of the hallway was enough to make you boil. Quistis could feel burning from Seifer's arm as it was wrapped around her neck and the hot flashes passing through his body.   
  
She looked up and saw Squall's frown, realizing that they were not going to give up. Shaking her head, she grit her teeth in anger and, with all her might, pushed Squall out of the way with her free hand. Squall stumbled backwards, but did not fall on the ground. His eyes glowed in astonishment as Rinoa and him watched them go.  
  
  
  
  
No sooner did the three made it to the infirmary. The door slid open, revealing a very sad looking Matron sitting on one of the awaiting rooms and a serious looking Dr. Kadowaki by her side.  
  
'Edea must have told Dr. Kadowaki what happened,' Quistis thought.   
  
Both women stood up when they saw Quistis and Irvine drag a very feverish Seifer inside. Dr. Kadowaki immediately opened the door for them as the two pulled him across the room and inside the room the dark haired doctor provided for them, followed by Edea. With one more tired bodies, Quistis and Irvine slowly and carefully released Seifer's arms from around their necks and gently put him down on the bed.   
  
Gasping for breath, Quistis and Irvine stood back and looked at each other, then turned their attentions towards Dr. Kadowaki, who quickly worked on Seifer. Edea joined them later, looking at her two wonderful children.   
  
Dr. Kadowaki placed a stethoscope under his shirt and listened to his heart beat, a serious frown suddenly shown on her wrinkling face. She looked over her shoulder at the trio and gave them a questioning look. "He's been injured?"  
  
Quistis and Edea nodded.  
  
"I found him outside with an injury there, but I managed to stop the bleeding with some extra bandages," Quistis replied.   
  
Dr. Kadowaki nodded. She took another peek at Seifer's wound, removing his shirt on his hip and examined it. A white bandage was wrapped securely around Seifer's abdomen and his whole body seemed to be flushed from the fever. She put his shirt securely back on the wound and looked over her shoulder at three peering eyes.  
  
"I can close the wound, but I just need room, so whoever is staying please stay and whoever isn't you may wait at the waiting room," Dr. Kadowaki announced, turning around to face them.  
  
"I can't stay anyway," Quistis spoke. "My class is writing their test and I need to check on them to make sure they haven't voluntarily left." She rolled her eyes and looked at Irvine, who gave a short snort.  
  
The blond gazed up at Matron, who has been standing quietly for the last couple of minutes beside her, looking worriedly at Seifer. Slowly, she placed a hand on her back and rubbed it gently. "Are you okay, Matron? I mean I saw him pushed you down on the ground."  
  
Edea nodded. "Yeah, I'm fine." She looked up and smiled at Quistis.  
  
In relief, she nodded, gave one last look towards Seifer, then left the room. Irvine smiled at Edea, then followed Quistis out the door.  
  
"Man, that was something," Irvine spoke quietly, when they stepped out of the room and towards the waiting area. He looked at Quistis, who had a concerned look on her face. "Are you all right, Quis?"  
  
Squall.... that look, never left her ever since he gave her that expression. It bothered her so much. What was wrong with him? "Huh?" She looked up and saw Irvine's worried look. "Yeah, I'm fine," she answered, nodding her head. "I was just thinking about Squall...." She looked into Irvine's eyes. "I have never seen him act this way."  
  
Irvine shrugged. "Well, not really, ever since he met Rinoa."  
  
"Hey, don't blame Rinoa."  
  
Irvine rubbed his neck. "I'm not!"  
  
Quistis rolled her eyes. "Well, I better go and see if my students are finished writing. I've left them for almost fifteen minutes now." She looked at Irvine. "What are you upto this afternoon?"  
  
Irvine grinned. "I don't know, maybe see what I've accomplished." He looked at Quistis, who only gave him a puzzled look. The cowboy sighed and shook his head. "Nevermind." He turned the opposite direction where Quistis was going and waved a hand behind him, towards Quistis. "See ya, Quistis!"  
  
Quistis chuckled and waved back. "Bye! See you at lunch!"  
  
"Maybe!" he shouted back as he disappeared around the corner.  
  
  
****************  
  
"There," she said, wiping sweat from her forehead. She looked at her patient sitting worriedly on a chair by the bed. She leaned down and patted her long time friend on the shoulder, giving her a reassuring smile. "Hey, don't worry, he'll be fine."  
  
Edea looked up and smiled. "Yeah, I know. What I'm worried about is Squall."  
  
"Squall?" Dr. Kadowaki removed her gloves and covered Seifer's stomach with his shirt. She moved over to where his head was resting and placed the back of her hand with her forehead. "What about Squall?" she asked, as he checked his temperature. She took out a spoon and a bottle of medicine from a cupboard by the bed. She poured the medicine on the spoon and fed it to Seifer, who's eyes were tightly closed. Still, even with his feverish state, Seifer was still conscious and could still swallow the medicine whole.   
  
Edea sighed. "Before I came in here, I went to see if Quistis had caught up with Seifer and then I saw Squall. I feel like he's changed somehow."  
  
Dr. Kadowaki shrugged, removing her hand from the blonde's forehead. She turned around to face the dark haired woman. "That's how teenagers are as they grow up."  
  
Edea nodded. "Yeah, I guess so." She looked over at Seifer's body. "How is he?"  
  
Dr. Kadowaki glanced at Seifer, then at Edea. "Well, the medicine is just kicking in and all we need now is to keep damping him with warm water to slow the fever down."  
  
"All right. Where can I find a cloth and a bowl?" Edea stood up eagerly.  
  
Dr. Kadowaki nodded and twisted her body around to a hidden room behind Seifer. She lifted a hand and gestured the younger woman to follow her. "Follow me and I'll show you." She disappeared behind the curtain.  
  
Edea glanced at Seifer once before leaving him alone to follow the Doctor.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
GoodGurl: I know this chapter, isn't really a Queifer, but hey! Seifer has a fever! Who would want to kiss him? Well, I would, but still! Anyway, I promise that the next coming chapters of Queifers will HAVE Queifer! See ya! Oh, please r/r! Thanx! ;) 


	8. Together we'll be... I promise

Note: Once again, I don't own any of these characters. It belongs to the imaginations of Squaresoft. Please understand that this is my first Squinoa, so bare with me, all right? Thanx a lot! ;) Oh.... by the very last chapters, I will ask all of you to vote which ending I should write, either a Queifer, Zelphie or Squinoa. I might end up doing them all anyway, but I still want everyone's vote as you review the chapters that is. Keep voting and I'll find out who the winner is by the time this story ends.  
  
  
Chapter 8 - Together we'll be... I promise   
  
  
~ "If you can't forgive him just yet, I'll understand if you want me to stay away from him, because I will. You and I will forgive him when you're ready to forgive him. We'll accept him together. I don't want to lose you, Squall. I love you too much."  
  
Rinoa  
  
  
  
'The nerve of him showing up!' he thought, dragging Rinoa behind him as he left the hallway, after being pushed out of Quistis' way just for Seifer's sake. He gritted his teeth in anger, angry by the way Quistis was acting, angry because Seifer was here in Garden and angry that...... Quistis was right. However, even with the guilt inside, the anger boiled inside him, forcing him to hate the man that wreaked havoc on Garden. If he plans on staying in Garden for good, he'll make sure Seifer doesn't.   
  
"Squall!" Rinoa said, pulling herself away from Squall's grasp. Squall stopped and turned, watching her rub her wrist that were red from his grip. Rinoa furrowed her eyebrows at him. "Why did you do that?"  
  
"You knew he was coming, didn't you?" Squall said, walking up to her.  
  
Rinoa turned away, not wanting to meet his seething, hateful eyes that seemed to have poked holes through her head when silence seem to be the only sound they made with each other. After a couple more breaths, Rinoa took the courage to look into his eyes. "I did, but I didn't tell you, Squall, because I knew you were going to act this way!"  
  
Squall shook his head in disbelief. He pointed to the direction to where Quistis and Irvine disappeared with Seifer and looked at her. "That man who walked by here with the help of our so-called friends, almost killed you, Rinoa! He destroyed part of Trabia, helped Ultimaecia rule Deling City and killed many people in the process! Are you saying that you forgive him after everything that has happened?"  
  
Rinoa took a deep breath. "First of all, Squall, he ALMOST killed me, which means I'm still here, alive and breathing. Second, he didn't help Ultimaecia rule Deling City, it was Edea who was possessed and third: I'm not saying I should, but if it means having him here back again, I think we should at least try to give him a second chance and forgive him."  
  
Squall shook his head. "I don't even know you anymore." He turned around and began to walk away.  
  
"Where are you going?" Rinoa stood there, frozen. Why was he walking away? She didn't say anything wrong. She said the truth. "Why can't you accept it, Squall?" Rinoa asked as he turned the corner. Before she could say anymore, Squall was gone. She felt a tear falling from her left eye. Angrily, she wiped the tears with the back of her hand and turned to the direction of her dorm room.  
  
  
****************  
  
'I love her. Why am I such a jerk to her if I do? Why do I feel jealousy over a man who fell unconscious in Quistis' arms?' These thoughts played in his head many times, yet never were they answered.   
  
He laid half asleep and half awake on the bed, his head resting against his arms.   
  
She was the reason Squall felt this way. She was the reason he felt angry everytime a man crosses her path and hits on her. She was the reason he was alive.   
  
Since his childhood, he felt alone ever since Elllone left the orphanage. Sure, he had his friends to count on, but he was too damn quiet for his own good. He never cared about anyone, nor did he showed any feelings for anyone, but Squall Leonheart was the type of man you could count on. Honourable to the SeeDs, generous to the people, and loving to the Matron. Yet, these things he never showed. He never acknowledged himself, nor did he pride himself in being a 'hero.' He never cared whether who won or who deserved to lose. He, at times, had his thoughts in his own world and would sometimes stare at nothing and sit on a chair in a dream-like state. He thought too much, but that was just who he is. He was a man with a good nature, despite his lack of presenting his feelings towards anyone. It was thought that he would never open up, until Rinoa came to his life.   
  
Rinoa showed him the way and when he was injured, he imagined her face smiling down on him, touching his heart with her hands and healed her, whether her presence was non existent or not. He closed his eyes, wanting ever so much to sleep, but everytime he did, he saw Rinoa, looking up at him with a smile that melted his heart and that soared his soul to the sky. At the same time, however, he felt guilty. There was a chance that he may never see her smile again if he kept doing what he was doing now.   
  
Sitting up quickly, he put on his shoes and walked out of his room, locking it securely behind him. He glanced at his watch, which showed that it was only fifteen minutes after eight. There was a chance that she was still in her dorm room, maybe crying. How he hated to see her crying.   
  
Growling to quietly and calling himself, once again, a 'jerk,' he walked fast towards Rinoa's room.  
  
  
****************  
  
He knocked on the door, inhaling and exhaling air, anticipating the moment of embracing Rinoa and wanting to apologize to her for being such an idiot earlier.   
  
No one answered.  
  
Taking another deep breath, he knocked on the door again.   
  
After a few more knocks, the door finally opened to reveal the person he least expected. Selphie had a towel on her head and was wearing simple makeup on her face. She wore a cute little yellow dress, much like what Rinoa wore when they danced under the stars. At first, Squall thought Selphie WAS Rinoa, since the dress she was wearing WAS Rinoa's.   
  
"Hey, Squall!" Selphie greeted, with her usual, hyper active manner.  
  
Squall nodded and looked over her shoulder. "Um... is Rinoa here?"  
  
Selphie shrugged. "Honestly, Squall, I don't know where she went. She told me she was going to visit a certain someone at the infirmary."  
  
"A certain someone?" Squall's eyes widened. He closed his eyes in frustration, clenching his fists at his side and gritted his teeth. "Seifer..." he mumbled, before turning around and leaving Selphie puzzled.  
  
  
****************  
  
"Hi, Seifer," she whispered. She could see his pale face and his disheveled hair ligthed by the moonlight. Half of his face and half of his body was covered with only darkness. She could see the darkness and the light working together to make Seifer look eerie and mysterious as he laid in bed. She placed a hand on his and smiled slightly.  
  
Seifer looked up and smiled back. "Hey, Rin," he answered back to her.  
  
"How are you feeling?"   
  
Seifer nodded slowly. "I'm fine. Do you know how long I've been sleeping?"  
  
Rinoa shrugged. "I don't know. Maybe a couple of hours now...." she paused and looked at him straight in the eyes. "What were you doing getting out of bed earlier?"  
  
Seifer didn't answer, turning his face away from her.   
  
"Seifer.... what happened?"  
  
Seifer didn't answer again. He's told someone already and he didn't want to tell anyone else. What he dreamed, what he feared most of all, appeared in his mind. It tortured his every waking moment and enabled him to sleep that morning. Even with his feverish state, he was still willing to leave the place that has awoken back the painful memories. He remembered being with his posse, going to missions with them and he remembered meeting the new recruits of SeeDs for the first time. All the past came back to his hidden memories, even those happy times he grew up in the orphanage.   
  
"I'd rather not talk about it, all right?" Seifer turned his head towards her and noticed a shadow hiding behind one of the windows. He knew who it was. It was probably Squall taking back his girl friend. He wouldn't mind if he did. Rinoa was being a pain in the ass again, always willing to help, no matter how ridiculous it was. The blond man smirked, seeing Squall glare at him through the window. He couldn't blame Squall for hating him and wanting him to be kicked out of the garden, despite his sickness. He blamed himself as well, so there was no argument between them. "Looks like, your boy friend is here to keep you away from me," he spoke, folding his arms across his chest.  
  
Rinoa turned her head towards her boy friend, who was giving her a pleading look, rather than a dangerous one. She smiled and waved. "No one, not even Squall can tell me what to do."  
  
"Maybe you should," Seifer said. "I see the way he looks at me, Rin. I don't want to cause anymore trouble."  
  
Rinoa sighed, stood up and walked out of the room, saying not another word towards the tired blond. She met with Squall, giving him the most empathetic look she has ever has to offer towards the young man.  
  
"Squall, what are you doing here?" she asked.  
  
Squall frowned, nodding his head towards the window. "I'm wondering the same thing. What are you doing talking to him, Rinoa?"  
  
The dark haired girl shook her head. "Squall, he's my friend. I'd like to be there for him."  
  
"Friend or not, he still kidnapped you and fed you to Adel."  
  
"Which he failed to do. When are you going to see that Seifer is not wreaking havoc in Garden?" Rinoa planted both her hands on her hips and stared up at him.  
  
Squall looked at her and sighed. "I just came to see you to say I'm sorry," he said, changing the subject.  
  
Rinoa smiled. She went to him, wrapping her arms around her boy friend and rested her head upon his chest. "I forgive you, Squall." She looked up to look into his eyes. "But I think you should really give Seifer a second chance." She let go of him and looked through the window. Squall stepped in beside her, watching through the window as well. Seifer had his head turned away from them, his eyes staring out another window. "We gave Edea a chance. Why can't we give him one?" She looked at him.  
  
Squall thought for a minute. Yes, they forgave Matron, but it wasn't that easy at first. He had almost hesitated to forgive their motherly figure, who took care of them since they were children and still does, but he had the courage to forgive her and so did everyone else. It would take a lot more than courage and hope to forgive Seifer Almasy.   
  
He shook his head gradually.  
  
"I... I just can't Rinoa," Squall finally said, after a moment of silence. He turned away from the window and pivoted his whole body around to face the door. He glanced at Rinoa and sighed. "I'm sorry, Rin." He began to walk away, but a hand abruptly stopped him on his tracks. He looked over his shoulder at Rinoa.  
  
"Don't be sorry. It's hard for me too." She let go of his arm and looked down on the ground. "I almost told myself not to visit Seifer, but I knew in my heart that I had to. I needed to see if Seifer deserved to be forgiven."  
  
Squall arched his eyebrow at her. "What do you mean?"  
  
"I mean.... when I asked him what happened, he was quiet for a while. I heard his voice, his pain and his agony. I knew he wanted to be accepted and he knew that he doesn't deserve that kind of forgiveness, especially from you, Squall. You and him have been rivals for a long time. He himself said that he didn't want to be here. He didn't want to be in this place again to remind him of all the awful things he did when he got here."  
  
Squall didn't answer.   
  
Rinoa smiled and took his hand in hers, grasping it in her own. "If you can't forgive him just yet, I'll understand if you want me to stay away from him, because I will. You and I will forgive him when you're ready to forgive him. We'll accept him together. I don't want to lose you, Squall. I love you too much."  
  
Squall said nothing. He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her in for an embrace. He rested his chin on top of her head and closed his eyes, feeling the warmth of her body. "I just don't want anything to happen to you, Rinny."  
  
"I know," Rinoa whispered.  
  
"I love you too," Squall said.  
  
Rinoa closed her eyes. She wrapped her arms around his waist and hugged him tighter, resting her head on his chest.   
  
They were both caught up in their embrace that they didn't see a figure hiding behind the shadows of the hallway watching them.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
GoodGurl: HI! THANK YOU FOR REVIEWING THIS PEOPLES! IT WOULDN'T BE SUCCESSFUL WITHOUT YOUR REVIEWS! THANX AGAIN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Please r/r! Thanx! ;) 


	9. Will You Remember Me?

Note: Hi! Just to let you know, none of the couples will be mixed together in one chapter. Each couple have their own chain of events and have their own little get together. NO couple will be involved in one thing nor will they ever be in the same chapter. Get it? Got it? GOOD! Anyway, ever wondered what happened to Zell after Irvine pushed him inside the ball room where Selphie was? Well, here's the answer!   
  
  
  
Chapter 9 - Will You Remember Me?   
  
  
~ People dream of being in love, always finding the right 'one.' She thought she found it in Irvine, but there was always someone that was holding her back. There was always a certain person that enabled her to love Irvine more than just friends. At first, she thought Irvine would be the right man in her life, but, despite all the evidence of being in love with Irvine in the first place, at what people tend to percieve, there was always someone else.  
  
____________________________________________________________________   
  
  
He cleared his throat. He saw her sitting on a table with her back facing his. She was staring at something in her hand. He ran hand through his blond hair and took a deep breath, before finally taking a step forward. He took another step forward, when a hand suddenly slapped him on the shoulder, startling the blond man from his thoughts. Looking up, he saw Irvine grinning down on him.  
  
"Irvine! Where have you been?" Zell asked, furrowing his eyebrows worriedly at his friend.   
  
"Hey, Zell! Oh, well I had to take care of something first." Irvine said, removing his hand from the younger man's shoulder. "Did you ask her yet?"  
  
Zell sighed and shook his head. "No...."  
  
"You mean..." Irvine looked ahead of them, towards Selphie. He turned his attention back on Zell and rolled his eyes. "You mean you haven't even talked to her? Have you been standing here the whole time?"  
  
The blond man reluctantly nodded.   
  
"Oy vay, Zell!" The cowboy slapped a hand on his forehead in frustration and stepped up behind him. He placed his hands on his shoulders. Slowly, he pushed the younger man towards the table where Selphie was just examining the decorations on the table, finding out the right colours and which goes with what.  
  
  
****************   
  
Selphie stared at the green streamers in her hands. Normally it takes her just a second to figure out what matches with that colour, but she was too busy thinking about someone that her mind was somewhere else. She couldn't concentrate and it took a long while until she realized she has been staring at the streamer in her hand for quite some time now. Why does everything have to be green? she thought. She looked around her. In fact, everything about the decorations were green or gold. Sighing, she looked back down on the streamer and frowned.   
  
A shadow loomed over her. Jerking her head around suddenly at the source of the shadow, her eyes widened when she noticed Zell standing there. Selphie's heart began to beat much faster than she anticipated. She couldn't believe he was here. Getting up abruptly from her seat, she looked at Zell with wide eyes, unaware of the streamer that fell from her hands.   
  
"Hi, Zell!" Selphie said, rather too enthusiastically. Realizing the extent of her voice, she cleared her throat and grinned, trying to find another way to rebutt the greeting. "Hey... Zell. What are you doing here?" This time, her greeting was much worst than before.  
  
Although with her unusual form of greeting, Zell rubbed the back of his neck and looked down on the ground, fear striking him through his gut and his brain. He couldn't look at her. He was too embarrassed to ask her. "Um... Selphie? Um.... I have a question to ask you."  
  
Could this be it? Could this be the moment of truth?   
  
Selphie took a deep breath, hoping to hear the words she was wishing for him to ask. "Sure, what is it?"   
  
Zell opened his mouth to speak and in one swift language he said, "Can I..... Can I....." He couldn't do it. Taking a deep breath, he dropped his hand back down from his neck and furrowed his eyebrows. "Can I still join your committee?"  
  
Selphie's face fell. "Oh." She looked down on the ground. She knew it. She knew Zell never liked her more than a friend. Holding back the tears that threatened to fall from her eyes, she looked up and smiled, nodding her head to forget the pain. "Of course you can," she said, her voice shaking.  
  
Even with the way she spoke, Zell could not understand the concept of Selphie's speech. He did not realize that even to the smallest extent of the way her voice shook, he did not see that she was hurting. Rubbing the back of his neck mindlessly, he nodded, turned and walked away.  
  
Selphie watched him go. Her eyes were beginning to fog. Even with the high hopes in her heart, her dreams will never come true. Why was it so hard for her to ask him herself? Why couldn't she do that? She tried to before, but she just couldn't. Despite the questions in her mind, she knew the answer then.   
  
Rejection.  
  
People dream of being in love, always finding the right 'one.' She thought she found it in Irvine, but there was always someone that was holding her back. There was always a certain person that enabled her to love Irvine more than just friends. At first, she thought Irvine would be the right man in her life, but, despite all the evidence of being in love with Irvine in the first place, at what people tend to percieve, there was always someone else.   
  
She searched for who or what was holding back. At the first sight of a blond hair and a tattoe on his face, she knew it was him. Something in her memory keeps her mind set on 'him' in particular. Whenever she saw another blond walking down the hallway, she immediately thought of him. Maybe it was something she drank or something that night, but whatever it was, it made her feel good inside.  
  
"Hey, Selphie?" Selphie blinked, bringing herself back into the real world. Turning around, she saw her brunette friend, Mindy holding the same streamer that had fallen on the floor. Mindy lifted up her hands to show Selphie the streamer, giving her a questioning look. "Is this the streamer you mentioned earlier?"  
  
Selphie nodded. "Yeah, that's it."  
  
"Where do you want it?" Mindy looked around at the walls, looking for a place to hang it.  
  
Selphie looked up as well, following Mindy's eyes. Scanning the ceiling for any particular spot, she finally found one where it was perfect. She pointed towards the ceiling, right above the stage where the band was going to be and looked at Mindy. "That's where the streamer's going to be."  
  
Mindy nodded and left, walking over to a man holding a ladder. Selphie watched her instruct the man to put the ladder below the ceiling where the streamer was going to be and the man simply agreed.   
  
Turning her eyes away from the scene, Selphie walked out of the ballroom and into the hallway, hoping to run into Zell when she stepped out. However, he wasn't there. It was odd how quickly he left. Suddenly, she saw a flash of blue in front of her.   
  
  
****************  
  
Zell heard footsteps behind him. Pausing, he turned his head slightly behind him and, out of the corner of his eyes, he saw a flash of yellow. Widening his eyes, he quickly looked around for a place to hide. And he found it behind a wall as he made a sharp turn. He placed his back against the cold surface and waited for the footsteps to fade away.  
  
Unfortunately, after waiting for a few more minutes, the footsteps did not disappear. Instead, it was coming closer each time he breathed. At first the footsteps were slow, then it became faster and faster. Zell closed his eyes. He had no idea why he was so paranoid.... Why was he so paranoid? Maybe it was the idea of being scared of asking girls all the time?   
  
As he was about to make the choice to just walk casually out from his hiding place, the misty yellow colour suddenly passed him. Zell shook his head slowly, cursing himself for being such a wuss and began to whisper her name.  
  
"Selphie!" he screamed.  
  
Selphie screeched, turning around suddenly to find the source of the voice. Zell appeared from behind the shadows, grinning at her. Clutching at her heart, she took a deep breath and rolled her eyes.  
  
"My God, Zell! You scared me!"  
  
Zell shrugged, rubbing the back his neck. "So- sorry about that. I didn't mean to scare you."  
  
Selphie smiled, then waved a hand in front of her. "Oh don't bother to apologize. I was just um...." Quick Selphie! Make an excuse! she thought. "I was just finding more people to join us...."  
  
Zell nodded. "Yeah me... too." Great going Zell! a voice spoke in his head.  
  
"Oh for God's sakes! Will you please just ask each other out already?" came a deep voice from behind them.  
  
Zell and Selphie looked up to see a shadow move into the light peering through the window. Irvine appeared next to them, sighing in frustration. He wrapped his arms around the two and looked at each and every one of them.  
  
"I think you two need some reminiscing," Irvine spoke.  
  
Zell looked at him. "What the hell are you talking about?"  
  
"Well... let's see if I remember it right."  
  
  
****************  
  
"Zelly!" a girl shouted from behind him.  
  
A little blond boy sat on a large boulder, staring deeply into the ocean. The sun was setting, ready to sleep until morning wakes it again and the tides were beginning to rise higher and higher, while the wind blew kisses across his face, making him feel refreshed and new. He felt someone sit beside him.  
  
"Zell, watcha doin'?" the little girl asked.  
  
Zell glanced to his right to find an eight year old girl gazing up at him with her glowing green eyes. The blond boy just shrugged, turning his eyes back up beyond the horizon. "Nothing," he answered.  
  
The brunette moved closer beside him and smiled, placing a hand over his own. "That Seifer is always a bully!" Selphie answered.  
  
Zell didn't answer.  
  
The little girl began to stroke the little boy's hand with her thumb. "But don't worry, I'm going to tell him sorry, okay?"  
  
Zell looked at her. "You will?"  
  
Selphie nodded. "Yeah! I mean... you're my favourite." She looked down shyly on the ground, her face turning into a crimson red.  
  
"Your favourite?" The little boy looked at her with a curious look.  
  
"Yeah. I mean, even with Sis and Quisty gone, you're still my favourite out of all of them!"  
  
Zell frowned. He looked away from her. "Maybe I won't be."  
  
"What do you mean?"  
  
Zell looked at her, with a sadness on his face. "I'll be going away, Seffie. So are you. I heard Matron say that you and I were adopted by nice parents."  
  
Selphie smiled. "Well, then maybe we have the same parents!"  
  
Zell shook his head. "No. You are going to Trabia. I'm going to move to Balamb."  
  
"Oh." Selphie looked down on the ground. She removed her hand from his and looked at the sunset.  
  
"But...." He rubbed the back of his neck and sighed. "You'll always be my favourite. I mean... even if we're separated from each other, I'll always remember you."  
  
Selphie looked up. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him in for a hug. Tears streamed down her petite face as she cried into his shoulder.   
  
"I'll always remember you, Seffie," Zell whispered in her ears. He pulled her away from him and looked into her tear-streamed face. "Will you remember me?"  
  
Selphie nodded. She pulled him in again for another tight embrace, her face inclined towards the sunset, resting her head against his shoulder. "Of course I will," she murmured.  
  
She watched as the sun finally hid behind the clouds and the darkness began to form. The moon peeked its head from behind the same cloud where the sun melted away and brightened the horizon that were now consumed with darkness.   
  
It wasn't until Matron called them inside did they break free from the love that never existed until then, but this was the one love that would develop someday between them as they grow. Unknown to them then that this love will be forever held in their hearts.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
GoodGurl: WOO! Finally done THAT chapter! Took me an hour to write that! Hope you enjoyed this one, 'cause I sure did! Please r/r! Oh, don't forget to cast your vote at the end of the chapter, k? Thanx! ;) 


	10. Lost Souls

Note: THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!!! Man, the majority of you have been counting for a Queifer and well... here it is! ENJOY!  
  
  
  
Chapter 10 - Lost Souls   
  
  
~ It seems, everyday, no one cared where she was. No one cared where she'll be. Maybe they wouldn't even care if she was missing or whether she had died. Until her last breath, she knew no one would care at all.   
  
  
  
~ He wanted to call to someone, just for someone to save him from this torture, from this suffering, yet no one cared. No one came to him. No one reached out their hands to him so he could be saved from the torment.   
  
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Paper glued itself on her face from the saliva that fell from the corner of her mouth (very attractive indeed) and opened books were scattered on the table in front of her. She jerked her head up suddenly, looking around, her eyes just adjusting to the darkness and the slight glow of the lamp beside her. Slowly wiping the drool from her face with the back of her hand, she gathered her important papers that needed to be marked by tomorrow in her arms and the books she needed and stood up. She looked at her watch and gasped when she realized what time it was. She reached for the switch on the lamp and turned it off tiredly, then stalked out of the classroom, locking the door behind her.   
  
The moon peeked heavily from the glass ceiling, welcoming her with its light as she walked down the hall. Everyone had obviously gone to sleep and Quistis Trepe was the only one still awake. She was pass curfew, but she didn't care. This was her usual routine and no one cared. The students knew who's shoes would be tapping on the hallway in the middle of the night.   
  
It seems, everyday, no one cared where she was. No one cared where she'll be. Maybe they wouldn't even care if she was missing or whether she had died. Until her last breath, she knew no one would care at all.  
  
She thought about the two popular couples of Balamb. It hurt when she saw Squall and Rinoa declared their love for each other just a few hours ago. She decided that if she were to avoid them, she would have to stay up the whole night until they went to sleep. She took a sharp turn to the right, where the direction of her dorm would be and walked her normal pace, calm and collected.   
  
She passed the library, some dorm rooms, then the infirmary. She was startled to see someone sitting up on the bed and as she looked closely, she realized that the person sitting there and the one staring at absolutely nothing, was Seifer Almasy himself. She didn't know why she bothered to go inside, but her curiosity got the best of her. When she stepped in the room, she found him taking off the ivy out, practically yanking it from his skin.   
  
"What are you doing, Seifer?" She watched him take the last ivy from his arm. Quistis walked up to him, placing a hand on Seifer's bare shoulder. The blond man looked at her, glaring at her with his icy stare, then slapped her hand away from him.   
  
"It's none of your business, Trepe!" he growled. He stood up, walking pass her, but a hand abruptly stopped him on his tracks.  
  
"You can't go out on your condition," Quistis spoke softly, never removing her hand from his shoulder.   
  
Seifer closed his eyes in irritation. He glanced over his shoulder, the scorn never leaving his tired eyes. He could feel his whole body burning and he knew that Quistis was right after all, but he wasn't about to let one thing ruin his plans of getting away. "There's no other reason for me to stay here, Trepe. This is the last place I want to be in." He slapped her hand once again, away from his shoulder and walked over to the chair where he spotted his black shirt and his trenchcoat folded neatly in one pile, the shirt on top of the coat. He picked up his black shirt and put it on quickly, his eyes still hazy from fatigue. His hair was disheveled, yet it still held the golden colour that mimicked the blond woman standing behind him. He still had a pounding headache that banged severely inside his brain and it seems he was ready to gag at that moment.   
  
'You and me both,' the blond woman thought. "Seifer," she called, when she noticed him walking out of the room. The door flew open as Seifer stepped out. Quistis followed, running in front of him to prevent the blond man from going anywhere. "Didn't you say you were going to stay here until you got better?"  
  
Seifer gritted his teeth, glaring at her. "Get. Out. Of. My. Way!" he shouted. He wanted to push her, but he was too weak and his eyes couldn't concentrate on where he was going. Neverthless, he wanted to leave the only place that brought him nightmares.   
  
Quistis did not budge. She stayed in her spot, planting both her fists on her waists. She stood there, defiantly. "Where are you going to stay? You're unarmed and once you get out there in the field again, you could get easily killed by the monsters."  
  
The blond did not answer. He began to walk pass her, but once again, Quistis stepped in his way, watching him with an intention to annoy him. He clenched his fists in anger. "I said...." Suddenly, a pounding headache pained him. He closed his eyes and was about to fall forward. With his last strenght, he held his balance and stood there, masking the pain in his eyes. "I don't need your sympathy!"   
  
Quistis watched him. She knew what had happened just a second ago and she wasn't about to let him pass. She shook her head. "It's not sympathy Seifer. You need help."  
  
"I don't need you or anyone else's help! Now get out of my way!" He pushed her roughly, but not enough to force her to stumble backwards. She held her feet on the ground.  
  
"Seifer, stop being stubborn and listen to me!" Quistis spat, placing her hands on his shoulders to keep him from going anywhere.  
  
He smirked, not the usual smirk he was renowned for. The kind of smirk was forced, not really meant to be there. He tried to use his body to push her away, but, surprisingly, she managed to keep him still. She was, to his shock, very strong.   
  
"I don't have to listen to you!" Seifer yelled. Before he could move away, he felt a blow to his face. He saw nothing but blackness, before the tall, blond man finally fell unconscious on the floor.  
  
Quistis shook her wrists, grimacing in pain. She had no idea, Seifer's face was so hard to hit. "Dammit! No wonder you couldn't be beaten by Squall," she murmured, looking down on the body. If the blond man was back to his original state, she wouldn't had the chance to hit him at all. He was an expert in deed for avoiding hits and she knew that. After all, she did teach him. The only advantage of him being hit to the floor just now was his fever. His sickness made him slow and weak to respone quickly to the blow that he didn't get a chance to get away.  
  
She had no other choice then.  
  
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Blood dripped from his fingers, like running water. The red substance oozed from his hands and fell on the neatly, cemented floor that was now covered with death. He could hear the screams around him, of men, women and children. They plagued his every thought, his every breath and his every waking moment. It followed him around like a shadow, this nightmare, this hell. It never left him.   
  
He wanted to call to someone, just for someone to save him from this torture, from this suffering, yet no one cared. No one came to him. No one reached out their hands to him so he could be saved from the torment.   
  
Instead of waiting, he let go of this hope and began to walk on his own. He was all alone. No one was there. No one was there to help him through this darkness that seized him from existing as a human being. No one would dare touch him. He was the black plague. He was the Angel of Death.  
  
Then he saw her again. He saw her standing with her arms open wide for him to run to. He walked to her, his smile appearing on his face. She was the one to save him from this pain.   
  
Suddenly, he paused. He could see something evil in those eyes. Her eyes were filled with a devious look. They litted with a bright glow that made his blood boil. He knew that look. He knew that glow.   
  
He stopped on his tracks, then backed away from the feminine figure. Before he could turn and run, she was already in front of him, an evil grin on her face. She placed a hand on his shoulder and began to control his every thought and his every action, even his heart.  
  
He screamed in pain. Yelling for her to stop, but it was to no avail. She kept doing what she was doing and entered his thoughts, entered his very soul that made him into a man, changing him into someone else he wasn't.   
  
This was a creation of irony. She was the one to save him and she was the one to torture him.  
  
  
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He opened his eyes, slowly. Groaning, he looked around the room he was in. A very familiar one at that. It was too dark to see, but that's when he knew he had come back to the infirmary. Cursing, he turned his head towards the very soul that was present in the dark. That same soul sat on a chair beside him, massaging his forehead with a wet cloth. He clasped a hand on his jaw and winced in pain.   
  
"Damn it! Did you have to hit so hard?!" he hissed. He glared at her, but she only ignored his look and kept concentrating on the task at hand.  
  
Quistis folded the cloth twice and rested it on his forehead. "I had no choice, Seifer. You were being stubborn, after all," she responded.  
  
Seifer said nothing as he shivered from the cold that burned his body. He allowed Quistis to feel his forehead with her warm hand.   
  
The blond woman shook her head. "This is the second time you tried to get away. Makes we wonder now why you came here in the first place." She looked at him, waiting for an answer, but all her gave her was a look that could have frozen Hyne's creation on fire.   
  
Seifer said nothing. He really didn't feel like talking now. He felt dizzy and tired. He turned his head away from her, towards the window.   
  
"I guess you're not ready...." She removed her hand from his and looked out the window. "You know, Seifer, you and me are almost the same." She didn't know why she was talking to him, but she figured he was the only one who was willing to listen, and the fact that he was too weak to argue. She wanted to talk to someone, even if it means talking to Seifer. She wanted to get all the feelings out. She's had it with all the secrets.   
  
Seifer turned his head towards her. Was this Quistis Trepe talking to him? His curiosity was taking over him. He wanted to know what made her say that. What made him and her the same? Not counting the hair colour that is.  
  
"We try so hard living easily in this world, yet it seems everyday, there's always difficulties facing us, keeping us from accomplishing what we dream of. We want to live what we dream about, yet it never comes true. We tend to percieve the perfect world, but it never comes." She turned away from him, ashamed of the trueness of her personality. It was too late to back out now. She had said too much. He had seen the true colours of Quistis Trepe.   
  
Seifer, as usual, wanting to keep his reputation in check, folded his arms across his chest. Despite of his fever, he smirked, forcefully and looked at her as evil as he could. Yet, as he looked at her, he saw the sadness in her eyes. He saw the pain that she also had to endure. He realized he wasn't the only one suffering. She was being tormented by her own feelings. He was tormented by the feelings of someone else. It may not sound the same, but they were both suffering. He removed the smirk from his face and looked at her.  
  
Quistis looked up. Their eyes meeting in an intense gaze.   
  
Both had no idea what happened. They weren't sure whether the peace between them was actual peace between the feudeing duo or just something to silence them both from arguing. Whatever it was, one felt the pain from the other.   
  
For the first time that night, they understood each other.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
GoodGurl: Hi! Hi! Sorry for making you guys wait so long! I've been trying to hard to finish it, but I always end up stopping because of homework. Ack! I have a test coming up, so.... yeah............. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this one! This one is probably the only second time it seems like a Queifer! This is where they FINALLY understood each other. None of that lovey dovey stuff! See ya! Please r/r! Thanx! ;) 


	11. Misery Loves Company

Note: Hi y'all! Man, thank you so much for those people who have been reviewing my story! I appreciate it! Thanks to:  
  
Lissa  
Shadow@ngel: Thank for that insight. I appreciate it!  
Ashbear: I LUUUUUVVVV your stories! I found 'First Contact' the funniest! HEE! HEE!  
Industrialis  
grrl gamer: My number one Queifer fan! You rock!  
Optical Goddess  
Ava Adore  
Nee  
Aeris Deathscythe  
tickle the dragon  
Jacks: Good, keep skipping the Squinoa parts! Jest joking!  
Angelprincezess29  
punker*chick  
Vick330  
Terra Trepe  
Jazzy  
Rinoa Tilmitt  
Selphie Ducky  
Stargazer  
  
  
You guys are the best! Okay... here, on this chapter, this won't be a Squinoa anymore. I've decided to put both couples together in one chapter, while Zelphie is separate. Since Squall, Rinoa and Quistis are affected by Seifer's return, I figured maybe it's best that these two couples should get together. Please don't be disappointed. It's more a better reason to take a time off and not spend too much time yapping about their emotions. So..... here are the two!   
  
  
  
  
  
Chapter 11 - Misery Loves Company  
  
  
~ "The reason why I was out there in the first place was because I wanted to see Garden for the last time."  
  
(Seifer)  
  
  
He opened his eyes. The thought of last night made him wonder. Did they really connect? He felt something soft touching his skin. Glancing to his right, he noticed long, golden hair flowing around his shoulders and half of his exposed chest. Her head was resting on his arm, which were now stiff from the weight she put on him as she sat on a chair. She was bent over, her cheeks touching the soft mattress. Her glasses, that probably fell while she tossed and turned in her sleep, were on the bed beside her. Her right arm was draped on his stomach, her hands holding the same cloth she used on him that dried over the night, while her other arm was rested on her lap. He wanted this peace now. He wasn't sure yet, whether she had completely forgiven him, but at least that night made him think there may be a chance for redemption. That thought made him smirk. Shaking his head at that though, he looked down on the sleeping figure once more. He wasn't sure what happened, but he didn't want to find out. He didn't want to stay here anymore.  
  
Swiping his free arm across his eyes to get the sleep from his face, he shook his arm furiously and the sleeping stranger suddenly sprung up and looked around. Her eyes, baggy from sleeping so late the other night were still visible. Her hair, unclipped and disheveled, shone underneath the morning sun that peeked through the half opened window. She glanced at Seifer, who was looking at her strangely. Blushing, she removed the glasses from the bed and put it on her nose. She removed her hand that slid over his body and upon his chest and blushed an even redder crimson.  
  
"Good, Trepe, keep it up. I'm sure red is your ideal colour." Seifer spoke, indicating the redness of Quistis' cheeks.  
  
Quistis glared at him, standing up from her chair. She reached down to examine him. Breathing a sigh of relief, she gave Seifer a nod and a rare smile. "Well, I think you're getting better."  
  
Seifer looked at her. He had no idea Quistis could return such a geniune smile towards Seifer Almasy. In most cases, he's never seen Quistis smile before, except maybe for Squall, the wonder boy. Yes, he knew everything about her little crush with Puberty Boy and he'll never forget that. He had to admit, Quistis was cute when she smiled.  
  
"You know, you should smile often. Your deserve to."   
  
Quistis looked at him, unsure whether she should take it as flattery or insult. She knew Seifer was never really good at complementing someone.  
  
Realizing that he was saying them to her, she blushed even more, close to darker red and looked away. "Thank you," she murmured. She glanced at her watch and gasped. She had no idea she woke up late. She glanced at Seifer and smiled slightly. "Well, I'm late for my class. I think I better get going."  
  
"Hey, Trepe?"  
  
The blond woman froze. "Y-yes?" Why was she nervous all of a sudden? This was Seifer Almasy for goodness sakes! She turned her head towards him, meeting his eyes.   
  
He turned away quickly, not wanting her to see him blush. Why was he acting this way? It was just a conversation, no big deal! But then again....... He shook his head of that thought. "Um... nothing, nevermind," he replied.   
  
Quistis turned her body around, facing him this time. "If you're wondering if I forgive you, Seifer, then I guess I do." She smiled, turned and walked out of the room.  
  
Seifer's eyes widened in shock. He never wanted her forgiveness. He scowled at himself. He never intended for this to happen. He didn't need Trepe's forgiveness. If she really did forgive him, then he would never have a chance to leave the place. He wouldn't be able to return for good without anyone's eyes scorning with fury towards him. Why? Why did he have to open his big mouth?  
  
  
~~~~ Last night............  
  
  
  
For the first time that night, they understood each other.  
  
Quistis cleared her throat, turning her eyes away from his. She continued to damp his forehead with the wet cloth. Matron would have listened to what she said, but she was never ready to tell her. For some reason, when she began to speak honestly towards Seifer, she couldn't close her mouth. It was as if her mouth had a will on its own.   
  
The blond man stared at her. He knew Quistis was full of knowledge, but he had no idea how full. The words she said, for some strange reason, affected him in some way. Affected him not in his mind, but in his heart. Smirking, he turned away from her and folded his arms across his chest, removing all the thoughts from his head.  
  
"What do you know about life?" he asked, with so much venom in his voice. It was the only way for him to speak, without showing his emotion. He didn't like showing his feelings. He hated being sensitive. He hated her. For a long time, he resented her, despised everything she has done as an Instructor. She never showed any respect towards him. He knew that Trepe hated him too, with a passion.   
  
She looked at him, removing the damped towel from his forehead and gripped it tighter in her hand. She closed her eyes. What did life mean anyway? "You're right, I don't know anything about life. All I've been doing is fall in love with someone, without any reason at all, except that I was just infatuated by his looks. I wanted to tell him how I felt, but all I've been recieving from him is a cold look. When Rinoa came into his life, I knew I could never compete with her. I became depressed and I began to trap myself in my own wall. All I could do now was watch them love each other. My life died with my emotions. It died with my feelings for him." She stood up and looked away. Tears began to form in her eyes and slowly, it streaked down her face. She wiped her tears away and looked out the window, opposite of the bed where Seifer laid.  
  
Seifer watched her back. All the resentment he had with her disappeared before him. It walked away from his heart, replacing it with a deep sympathy towards the blond Instructor. Maybe it was the fever kicking in, who knows, but he felt something.   
  
Quistis glanced over her shoulder, her face shadowed by the darkness of the room. "I think I better get going." She began to walk away.  
  
"Quistis...." Seifer whispered.   
  
The way he said her name, caught her attention and forced her to pause in her tracks. She turned her head towards him, her nose still red from crying. She closed her eyes and shook her head. "No, I think I better go."  
  
Seifer's breathing became ragged. His eyes kept closing in fatigue and his body kept alternating temperatures, from cold, to warm, to cold again. He shivered. "The reason why I was out there in the first place was because I wanted to see Garden for the last time."  
  
Quistis paused and turned around. "For the last time?"  
  
Seifer nodded slowly, then turned his head away from her. "You wanted to know, so I told you."  
  
The blond woman walked back towards the bed and looked down on him. Seifer looked up, their eyes meeting one another. For a brief moment, they saw each other's pain. Quistis sat down on the chair and stared at him, their eyes kept locked with each other.   
  
Seifer's face was suddenly filled with fury, catching Quistis off guard. He furrowed his eyebrows and glared at her. "You think your life sucks, Trepe?! I was trapped. At least you have people to count on you, to pull you out of misery. You think I have that kind of trust?" He turned away from her. "You have no idea how much I suffer, so don't even bother asking me why I wanted to die." There was a gaping whole in his heart. There was something missing there. For a long time, he's been waiting for that hole in his heart to be filled, but it never came. All the guilt and shame filled his heart and darkened it forever.  
  
Quistis looked down. She knew it then. She knew it now. Seifer was never a monster in the first place. But, what was his reason to die? He was being stupid! "Life is worth living, Seifer," she answered, after a moment of silence. "Are you saying you're just going to throw it all away because of something that happened in the past? Believe me, I've been in that situation before, where I wanted to die and wished I was never born." There was no mistaking, she still felt that way, but she knew she couldn't run away from her problems. "Life sucks, I know, but at least we still have what we want."  
  
"Well, I don't...." Seifer retorted. "And if I do, I don't intend to find out what it is."  
  
"Why not?"  
  
"It's not worth it."  
  
  
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She walked down the hall, straightening her blouse and her hair. All her thoughts were on last night. What happened between her and Seifer was a mystery, but she knew now she had someone to talk to. She couldn't help, however, thinking about his attitude on life. It was obvious to her he didn't want to live at all. He was in a state of depression. She understood now. All the scorn they had for each other was something out of respect. It's ironic, yes, she knew, but it was just the way they are. It was just their way of showing respect for each other. She sighed and continued down the hall.  
  
She was just relieved Seifer was feeling better.  
  
  
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He walked down the hall, hand in hand with his loved one. When they turned the corner, they were greeted by a very familiar blond, who bumped right into them. She looked up and gasped, noticing who it was she bumped into.  
  
"Hey Rin... Hey Squall...." Quistis said, brushing imaginary dirt off of her clothes.  
  
"Hi, Quisty!" Rinoa replied, waving at her.   
  
Quistis smiled. That was always Rinoa. She was all smiles. She wanted to hate her for being so nice and for having him, but Quistis Trepe wasn't the type to interfere with their relationship. Her and Rinoa became close friends after the whole Ultimaecia ordeal, so there was no point anymore.  
  
"Hey, Quistis," Squall said, his face expressionless. He shuffled his feet nervously and looked at Quistis. "Um...." He took a deep breath, then glanced at Rinoa for help. He didn't know how to start. He was never really good at apologizing.  
  
"What Squall would like to say to you Quisty is sorry," Rinoa spoke up.  
  
Quistis looked at Squall, angrily. "I would rather have him say that, Rin, if you don't mind." For a Commander like Squall Leonheart, he was incapable of solving problems with women.   
  
Rinoa nodded and looked down, biting her lower lip. She knew that. She glanced at Squall and nudged him in the arm with her elbow. "What do you say, Squall?"  
  
Squall rubbed the back of his neck nervously and looked at Quistis. "I'm sorry, Quistis. What I did was uncalled for, so I hope you forgive me. Seifer can stay here until he gets better and then he is to leave, understand?" His tone of voice changed from a soft, apologetic manner to a hard, Commander-like attitude.   
  
She had no other choice but to agree. She couldn't defy her Commander for the second time. It was also the fact that Seifer was, too, willing to leave Garden once he felt better. Reluctantly, she nodded.   
  
Squall nodded, his face kept neutral and took Rinoa by the hand. He gave Quistis a strange glance, noticing the way she looked and shook the thought away, then left, with Rinoa dragging behind.  
  
Rinoa looked back and waved at Quistis. "I'll see you later Quistis! BYE!!!" she yelled over her shoulder.  
  
Quistis smiled and watched them go. Sighing, she continued to walk down the hall and back to her dorm room. She was going to be at least forty minutes late for class. Maybe she should call it sick and call a substitue teacher for today. Seriously, she couldn't keep her eyes open after sleeping for only three hours. Making her final decision, she opened the door to her room and plopped down on her bed with a loud 'thud!'   
  
Her mind suddenly drifted back to Seifer. She couldn't help but feel remorse for the blond man. It was true he suffered more than her. She was admired by people, he was hated by them. Yet, under all the arrogant ways, Seifer Almasy was just like the rest of them. He had a soul and Quistis was the only person who caught that.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
GoodGurl: Okay, that was boring. But I liked their interaction here. Don't worry, more Queifer will be coming soon. Stay tuned! 


	12. First Date

Note: HI! HI! THANK YOU SOOOO MUCH FOR THE REVIEWS!!! Ever wondered what happened after Irvine took Zell and Selphie back to memory lane in the orphanage? Well, you have to read this chapter and find out!  
  
  
  
Chapter 12 - First Date  
  
  
  
~ She looked like the angel that fell from the sky who brightens everyone's hope with her smile.  
  
_______________________________________________________________________________  
  
  
They were silent for a moment, neither one unable to speak to what they had just encountered. They felt they went back into the past, back to the orphanage, back to where all of them got a long (sort of). Selphie could only stare back at the little boy who she promised she'll never forget. She had forgotten her promise to remember him. She had broken her promise.  
  
Shaking her head, she looked down on the ground, tears forming in her eyes. "I'm sorry, Zell," she mumbled. "I'm sorry for forgetting you. I didn't mean to...." she chocked. She looked up and, for a brief moment, her eyes met the blondes, then turned and began to run away. She could hear Irvine call her name, but she did not respond.  
  
"Selphie!" Zell yelled after her. He turned to Irvine and frowned. "You just had to mess with our brains, don't you?" He clenched his fists and ran after the depressed brunette.  
  
Irvine stared as the blond disappeared around the corner, running after Selphie. He was afraid they would react this way. He should have just kept his mouth shut. "I'm such an idiot!" he said to himself, slapping a hand on his forehead for his extreme idiocy.   
  
  
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"Selphie, please don't run away from me!" Zell yelled, his voice echoing the hallway. He caught up with Selphie just a few seconds. For a short and hyper-active girl, Selphie Tilmitt was a slow runner. Zell grabbed her arm, forcing the girl to turn around and face him. Selphie struggled to get away, but Zell would grip tighter on her arm.  
  
"Please, Zell, leave me alone!" Selphie sniffed, more tears falling down her face. "I don't deserve to love you! I.. I forgot our promise!" She moved her arm around, releasing herself from Zell's grasp, but he was too strong.  
  
"So did I Selp," Zell whispered, pulling her closer to him. Slowly, Selphie broke the struggle, letting Zell pull her to him. The blond carefully wrapped his arms around Selphie into a tight hug. "I forgot our promise too! We both forgot our promise, but that doesn't mean.... that doesn't mean I don't love you more."  
  
Selphie looked up, her eyes still watery from weeping. "You... you love me?"  
  
Zell wiped the single falling tear from her eyes with his thumb and shrugged. "Yeah... I mean- um... Well..." He pulled away from her and rubbed the back of his neck nervously. "I... I guess I do."  
  
Selphie smiled, walking towards him. "How long?"  
  
The blond stared at her and shrugged again. He back away some more, as if he was afraid to make contact with Selphie, afraid that he might hurt her. "Well.... qu-quite some time now... I guess..." He backed away some more, when something wooshed by him in top speed, forcing him to fall backwards. He landed on the ground with a loud 'thud!' He closed his eyes in pain. He could hear Selphie yelling his name and felt someone kneeling beside him, resting his head upon that someone's lap. He opened his eyes and noticed Selphie looking down on him worriedly.  
  
"Zell! Are you all right?" Selphie asked, stroking his face.  
  
Zell sucked in a deep breath and nodded slowly. He sat up slowly, the impact leaving him dazed and looked at Selphie, as he sat, while Selphie kneeled down on the cement floor. "I guess.... I guess what I wanted to tell you before was... will you go out with me? I guess...."  
  
Selphie helped him up on his feet and planted both her hands on her hips. "If you stop saying 'I guess,' I will go out with you, deal?"   
  
Zell grinned, nodding his head. "Okay...."  
  
The bubbling brunette smiled. "Will you forgive me for forgetting our promise?"   
  
Zell smiled slightly and walked over to her, wrapping his arms around her. "I already have," he whispered, kissing her forehead. "We have a lot to talk about tonight."  
  
Selphie rested her head on his chest and sighed. "I guess we do," she murmured, smiling.  
  
  
~that night~  
  
  
"Rinny! I need your help on something!" a loud voice boomed from inside the bathroom.  
  
A dark haired girl stood up from her friend's bed and walked to the door, leaning her head against the cold surface of the door. "What is it, Selphie?"  
  
The door flew open, surprising the dark haired girl. Rinoa backed away, letting Selphie step out of the bathroom. Rinoa eyed the shorter girl curiously. Selphie was wearing a yellow dress with sleeves that hung loosely pass her wrists. Her dress were cut above her knees, revealing her long, slim legs and along with the dress, the shoes she paired it up with were white, strapless shoes that were four inches high, making her look taller than usual. Her hair, instead of its usual waves that curled outwards, they were curled inwards, making her hair look even longer. Rinoa examined her, nodding her head in satisfaction.  
  
"Wow, Selphie! You look so cute!" Rinoa exclaimed. "What do you need help on?"  
  
Selphie turned around, twisting her head towards Rinoa. "There's a zipper at the back that I can't reach! Can you zip it up for me?"  
  
Rinoa nodded and before she could zip up Selphie's dress, she heard a knock on the door. The dark haired girl looked at Selphie and left her dumbfounded to answer the door.   
  
"Hi, Zell!" Rinoa greeted, cheerily. Zell wore a long sleeved, dark green turtle neck, showing some parts of his muscular chest when he moved and black pants that complimented his look and black shoes casual shoes. On top of his shirt, he wore a black overcoat and his hair. The only thing that made Zell look the same was his hair that were still spiked up above his head and the tattooe that marked him as Martial Arts champion. Zell greeted Rinoa with a smile.  
  
"Hey, Rin. Is Selphie ready yet?"   
  
Rinoa was surprised that Zell was early for the date. He must have been so eager to go on this date with Selphie. Every lunch, he was always late to get his hot dog, but his time for the date were earlier than expected, which was unlike Zell. "Well, she's actually not ready yet and-"  
  
"Hey, Rin! Who's at the door?!" Selphie appeared from behind Rinoa and gasped when she noticed who it was. "Zell!" Selphie said, almost screaming at the top of her lungs. "Wha-? What are you doing here so early?"  
  
Zell glanced at his watch. "Well, the movie starts in an hour, so I want to be there early before everyone else gets there." He looked at Selphie. "Are you ready?"  
  
"Well... actually...." She blushed. Rinoa still didn't zip up her dress. "I was just..." Before she could say anymore, Rinoa, forgetting about Selphie's opened back, pushed her towards Zell and waved good bye.   
  
Selphie turned around quickly to tell Rinoa about her dress, when Rinoa waved at them. "Have fun you two!" She shut the door in front of the brunette, leaving Selphie shocked. How could Rinoa do this? She heard someone cleared his throat.   
  
"Um.... Selphie? Your dress is.... Well... it's....I mean..."   
  
Selphie turned around slowly, her face turning redder than usual and nodded. "Yeah I know... Can you zip it up for me?" She turned around again, letting Zell see her bare back. 'This is sooo ambarrassing!' she thought.   
  
Luckily, Selphie could not see Zell's red face as well. He nodded casually and gently reached out towards her waist and began to slowly close the back of the dress. Selphie felt a tingling in her back, feeling something she has never felt before. Zell's hands were so warm and so gentle. She closed her eyes, her breathing slow and calm. Zell slowly closing her exposed back and when he was finished, he backed away. He let his face turn back to its original colour, before Selphie turned around and looked down on the groud.   
  
"Thank you," she mumbled. She looked up and smiled, the redness on her face disappearing quickly.  
  
Zell cleared his throat. "You're welcome...." he replied. It was odd how a few hours ago, they were not afraid to be in each other's arms, now they were afraid to touch each other. No... it wasn't fear. They were both just nervous to go out on this date. 'But....' Zell thought. They weren't suppose to be nervous around each other. They have been best friends since they were children. It must have been that piece of memory that, thanks to Irvine, made them realize they cared for each other then, even more than just friends. They were both guilty for forgetting their promise for each other. "Are you ready to go now?" he asked, his voice low and shaking.  
  
Selphie smiled and nodded. "Of course!" She linked arms with him, keeping her smile on her face.   
  
Zell nodded as well and together, they walked down the hall and outside of Balamb Garden. He led her to the parking lot where Ragnarok was waiting. He had asked Squall to borrow Ragnarok, telling him about his date with Selphie and when Squall knew of this, he began to smile, making Zell blush. Squall must have known for a long time he and Selphie liked each other. He must have waited for the two of them to go out on a date. Squall was more than happy to see them date, he was more than happy to lend them Ragnarok. This was something he's waited all his life. The way she looked tonight made his heart sore. She looked like the angel that fell from the sky who brightens everyone's hope with her smile.  
  
"Ragnarok?" Selphie looked at him, her eyes widening in surprise, as the door of Ragnarok began to open.   
  
Zell nodded. "Yeah. Squall let me borrow it." He took Selphie's hand and led her inside. The blond sat down on the driver seat as Selphie did the same. He looked at her and shook his head. "I'm driving tonight. You always drive Ragnarok, so I think I should have the turn."  
  
Selphie laughed. "All right. I guess it wouldn't hurt to let you take the wheel!" She leaned her back on the comfortable seat and sighed. "So... what city are we going to?" She glanced at Zell, who was busy turning the power on.   
  
"Well," Zell spoke, pressing the 'go,' button. The engine roared loudly. Zell's hands, kept tightly gripped around the steering wheel. "I was thinking we could go to a club in Esthar instead."  
  
Selphie lifted an eyebrow towards him. "A club?"  
  
"Yeah. I heard there was a popular club in Esthar." The Ragnarok lifted higher and higher as Zell kept his hands on the wheel. They both felt the plane's adrenaline pumping.  
  
The brunette punched the air and smiled. "Booyaka! To the club, here we g- WOAH!" The Ragnarok flew forward, startling Selphie from her seat. She glanced at Zell, who just kept his eyes concentrated on where he was going. "Zell!" Selphie yelled. "You might want to turn it down a bit?!"  
  
Zell didn't hear her. "Woohoo! Here we go, Selphie! To Esthar we go! I can't believe how fun this is! No wonder you enjoy driving this so much!"  
  
Selphie looked at him, as if he was going insanse. The speed of the Ragnarok was unbearable that was she close to throwing up. "HEY! SLOW IT DOWN!" she yelled at the top of her lungs. She may be good at flying, but hell, she was scared of dying! "Zell... I think I'm gonna...."  
  
The blond stopped laughing, turning his head towards Selphie, who was beginning to unbuckle her belt. "Hey! What are you doing?! Put your seatbelt back on!" Selphie looked at him, who's cheeks were bulging and who's face was turning green. Zell's eyes widened. "Oh shit!" he swore.  
  
Selphie walked out her seat and opened the window to the Ragnarok. Zell pressed the slowest speed for Ragnarok and pressed the automatic button on the console and typed in their destination, before tending to Selphie's aid. He stood beside her, rubbing her back gently.  
  
"Geez, Selph. I'm sorry, I got carried away," Zell whispered in her ear.  
  
Selphie let the air breeze her perfect hair, but she didn't care at that point. She felt Zell rubbing her back, keeping her sickness on low profile. "Well...." she spoke, after a moment of breathing for air. "This date is going better than I thought," she said sarcastically. She turned towards him, who's face suddenly fell in worry and began to laugh. "We can always make up for it when we get to Esthar." She couldn't blame Zell. He's been waiting for a long time on this date and so was she. There was no point in getting angry about it. It was their first date, after all, despite all the mistakes that had happened so far.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
GoodGurl: *giggle!* I couldn't stop laughing at the end of this chapter! Poor Selphie! She almost threw up! It's a good thing she's such a cool sport about it! Find out soon when they arrive to Esthar!!!!!!!!!!!!! 


	13. Reverse

Note: Hi everyone! Sorry for the long wait! Stupid computer of mine wouldn't let me inside fanfiction. Anyway, here is another chapter that you've all been waiting for and yes, this is a Queifer indeed!   
  
  
  
Chapter 13 - Reverse  
  
  
~ When you want to live so much, you feel like you're cheating death and for Quistis, it was just avoiding it.   
  
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He opened his eyes tiredly. Something warm touched his forehead. A light glared brightly at him, forcing him to put a hand over his eyes to block the light. Dark hair seemed to peer down on him, yet he could not quite catch what it was. Slowly, he opened his eyes fully to see a familiar woman with long dark hair, wearing a lab coat.   
  
"Good morning, Seifer. I thought you would never get better," the woman spoke. "Surprisingly, it's only been two days. Your body is a strong one, Seifer. Edea and I were greatly pleased at the improvement."   
  
The blond slowly sat up from bed and looked around. The only other person present was the beloved Matron, standing and smiling at him in relief to see his energy back again. Although he has been awake all this time, he felt he was sleeping. It was odd getting a fever and not remember awake at all.  
  
"How...? How long has it been now?" Seifer asked, groggily. He was still trying to get used to talking normally after being tired all the time. He turned his whole body around and placed his feet on the floor. He removed the ivy himself from his wrist, ignoring Dr. Kadowaki's pleas and stood up. He has never felt so better in all the hours he's been stuck laying in bed.  
  
Matron walked up to him, finally having to look up to him for the first time since he was found and smiled. "Your fever only lasted two days. Well, I'm not surprised, really. You always had a strong body, Seifer, ever since you were only six years old." She did not want to say much about how Quistis usually was the person who took care of him and nursed him back to health. She had a feeling Seifer would find it offensive. Quistis had the record of nursing people from their fever for two days. At times, she thought she would become a Doctor, but she guessed wrong.   
  
It was only last night that someone came into his room and nursed him, despite the fact that he had to be punched in the nose in order to get it. He was being stubborn, of course, but, for some reason, he felt good staying in bed all night with 'her' staying by his side. Seifer nodded. "Yeah, that's great." He wanted to jump up and yell out how happy he was, yet there was something inside of him that felt strange- empty . Ever since he arrived, almost dying from the cold, he wished nothing but to leave Garden before he could get caught. Now... he felt there was something stopping him and he hadn't the slightest clue. Right now, he didn't care as he walked pass Matron and grabbed his jacket folded neatly on a chair. "I'll see you around, Matron." He put his trenchcoat on quickly, saluted Matron and walked out of the room.   
  
"Seifer!" Matron called. She glanced at Dr. Kadowaki, before running after Seifer. The dark haired woman was lucky enough to catch up to him, avoiding the angry stares of students in the hallway. "Seifer, where in heaven's name are you going?" She stepped up in front of him, to prevent the blond from going anywhere. When he decided to pass her without an answer, Matron would block his way over and over again.   
  
Finally, after what seemed like forever, he sucked in a breath and, trying to calm himself down and not yell at the only person who's ever cared for him, looked at her straight in the eyes and shook his head. "I already told you that in the beginning, Matron.... once I felt better, I would leave."  
  
Matron placed a hand on his arm and frowned. "Where will you go?"  
  
Seifer shrugged. "I don't know- anywhere, but this place!" He walked pass her, this time, not with the interruptions of Matron. He did not pay enough attention, however on where he was going, when he collided with someone. All he could pay attention to were papers flying all over the place, landing on the ground with a slow, wave-like motion. His hands were wrapped around someone and it took him a minute to finally see who it was after all the papers were thrown on the ground. He was staring straight into a pair of blue eyes and one arm was wrapped around her waist (the arm to which were needed to keep the person steady). "Trepe-" he whispered. He stared into those eyes. Eyes that were staring back at him in the same reaction.   
  
Quistis felt her cheeks getting warm. Why is she feeling this way? Is she really that desperate for love that even Seifer Almasy affected her? "Seifer..." She cleared her throat and moved away from him, then kneeled down on the floor to pick up the scattered test papers. With those same papers, she stuffed them quickly inside her bag, avoiding eye contact with Seifer. If she looked into those eyes again, she'll never be able to let go. Why all this feeling? Was it the talk last night? It was nothing, really.... It didn't mean anything, that's all!  
  
Seifer watched her. He was still too shocked to see her since that night. The tears that once escaped those same eyes, never again appeared from the barrier that kept her feelings locked inside. There was no blaming her.... she has been in turmoil as he. "Here, let me help you with that." He kneeled down beside her and picked up the remaining sheets of paper. He wished he could see those tears again so he could catch them in his fingers. And where is that smile she promised to show? Mentally, he kicked the thoughts away and scowled at himself in his head. This stupid feeling was turning him into a... a... what was that word? 'Oh, forget it!' he thought. He glanced behind him. Matron was nowhere in sight.   
  
"It's been nice knowing you, Trepe!" he spoke. He handed the paper roughly in her arms and stood up. Without another word, he turned and walked away.   
  
"Thank you..." she murmured, watching him walk away. He was back to his old ways, now that he was feeling better. She wished he would stay so she could learn more about him, but it was pointless now. There was no changing the ever-so arrogant Seifer Almasy. 'Wait.... he doesn't have a weapon!' she thought. She stood up quickly, the papers stacked in her arms and ran after him.   
  
"Seifer, wait!" Damn him for making her feel this way! She was supposed to be an Instructor, not a love-sick fool! 'Fuck this feeling!' she thought.   
  
He was just walking out of the entrance, when he felt a hand on his shoulder. Turning around, Seifer furrowed his eyebrows at the same blue eyes. "What do you want, Trepe?!" he hissed, folding his arms across his chest.   
  
Quistis took a deep breath and gazed into his eyes. "Are you walking out of here without a weapon?"  
  
"You know, I am sick and tired of you and Matron babying me all the time!" He threw his hands in the air in frustration and pivoted around. He glanced over his shoulder and glared at the blond woman. "I can handle it, all right? I can handle any damn monster that gets in my way... WITH OR WITHOUT MY WEAPON!" For that, he walked out of Garden.   
  
Quistis couldn't have this. She watched him pass the guards and out the gates he went, without another glance towards her. She decided to keep a close eye on him. Quistis took a step forward, when, out of the blue, a loud, screeching voice startled her from her thoughts.  
  
"Hey, Quisty!" a female voice called from behind. Quistis turned and noticed Squall and Rinoa walking towards her. Rolling her eyes, she thought how the two can stand being with each other all the time.... literally with each other! She can see the linking arms and the steps they took at the exact same time. To her, it was downright creepy, but she couldn't blame them. They were in love and she has never felt jealous in all her life. How they ended up finding her, she may never understand. It was as if they always monitor her to keep her in check!  
  
"Hey, Quistis... what are you doing out here?" Squall asked, almost too suspiciously.   
  
Quistis shrugged, adjusting the papers in her arms, which were on the verge of falling. Rinoa noticed this and immediately came to her aid, grabbing the papers almost ready to fall to the bottom. The blond woman gave her a genuine smile. What is she suppose to say? "Um... well... I was just walking around when a student accidentally bumped into me out here and dropped all the papers."  
  
Rinoa's face grew serious. "The nerve of that student! Why didn't he/she help you?!"  
  
The blond woman couldn't help but laugh. "Oh, that's all right, Rin. It's fine now. Can you do me a favor though?" She looked at Rinoa.  
  
Rinoa nodded. "Sure thing, Quisty! What is it?"  
  
"Can you hold on to my things first? I dropped something near the gate, which I think is a very important item so..."  
  
Rinoa nodded. "Sure, I'll hold your things for you!" She took the papers from Quistis and the bag and slung the bag on her shoulders. Squall watched in quick suspicions. Quistis must have noticed his doubts when he heard her talk to him.  
  
Quistis frowned. "You don't have to be suspicious of me, Squall. There's nothing to be suspicious about..." His trust on her was slowly fading away, as she could see the way he acted. She gave the two one last look, before walking out of Garden, unknown to them of her purpose.  
  
  
****************  
  
  
She had found him, struggling to free himself from an Octopai's (which I made up, 'cause I don't remember all the enemy's names) grasp. It was squeezing the life out of him. He looked so helpless without a weapon. Shocked, she ran to him and quickly took out her weapon from its sheath. She struck the monster with one blow, before it finally let go of Seifer and began to charge towards her. Seifer fell on the floor, coughing, trying to bring back the air in his lungs.   
  
Quistis watched the monster move quickly and with one swift motion, she dodged the flying tentacles it attempted towards her and whipped her Save The Queen from behind. The Octopai quickly got up, gnashing its razor sharp claws before it charged towards her. Easily, Quistis dodged that attack as well, casting bio on the Octopai and the eight tentacled monster finally gave up and escaped the anger that was Quistis Trepe.   
  
"You sure can handle it well," Quistis spoke, with a touch of sarcasm and anger mixed inside her. Seifer stood up, then looked at her with an extreme scowl that burned through her head. He turned around and began to walk away, without a word of gratitude towards the blond woman. Quistis frowned and caught up to him by the time he was able to make it a few yards away from Garden. She stepped in front of him, blocking his way and looked up at him in frustration. "You know, I'm sick and tired of your attitude! It was better off that you were sick, because you were nicer and calmer!"  
  
"Why do you even bother to care?!" he fired back at her. "It wasn't like we were friends or anything!" He didn't need anyone's help! He didn't ask for it!   
  
"Seifer, you're still recovering from your fever, plus you don't have a weapon," Quistis replied, trying to sound as calm as possible. She returned her whip back in its sheath and looked up at him and was surprised to see him walking away. The man was being so stubborn!  
  
Both of them were being stubborn.  
  
The blond woman frowned. "Where are you planning on going? Are you planning on killing yourself? Life is too precious to waste, Seifer." She caught up to him again, walking only a few centimetres behind him.  
  
Seifer paused, then looked over his shoulder. This woman was not giving up, he thought. "I don't have a life precious than death, so I might as well waste it." He began to walk away, with a feeling of wanting to take Quistis in his arms and kiss her passionately. 'Curse this stupid feeling!' he thought.   
  
"I will have to keep a close eye on you," came Quistis' voice from behind.  
  
Seifer rolled his eyes. "Fine.... whatever you want to do 'O Mighty Ice Queen,' just as long as you shut up so I can think straight without you having to patronize me!"   
  
"I'm glad I don't have the tendency to kill you right now," she whispered. She was too hurt from his words to answer quite gruffly. 'I shouldn't be hurt,' she told herself in her head. After all, she was Quistis Trepe. Everyone percieves her to be the 'Ice Queen,' so what's the harm in believing she was? Something hard hit her heart, something more than just being hurt. Her heart had been tragically stabbed many times by the one man she wished had never said that.   
  
He was too busy to even notice the quietness of her voice as they entered the darkness of Balamb forest. It was far too easy to be caught in the open plains by anonymous strangers that were out to kill him. Then again, he was chased down in the forest by hungry hunters wanting to have his head at night. Those memories flooded back in his mind, but shook them away quickly, since the presence of Quistis Trepe made him feel brave in some way. He snorted quietly. 'I don't need her to be my protector!' he yelled in his head. He walked deeper, his pace going faster a little, hoping to lose Quistis. Yet, as he looked over his shoulder, there she was, trailing behind. Frowning, he turned his attention back on the path that he remembered was the easiest path to take.  
  
  
Soon, it was dark out. The night had crawled from its shell, taking over the position of the sun. Moon became the brightest light over their heads.  
  
"Seifer, what are you looking for, anyway?" Quistis asked.  
  
"Trepe, whining is so unbecoming." Seifer glanced over his shoulder and looked at her, scowling. "What does it look like I'm doing? I'm looking for Hyperion."  
  
Hyperion was his only best friend, Quistis acknowledged in her head. "I see. Do you remember exactly where you last left it?"  
  
"How am I suppose to remember it? I was halfway dead by then!" Seifer retorted.  
  
They have been walking for hours now. It was approximately six o'clock in the evening, Seifer could tell, since the moon was the brightest at that time. He was getting tired and hungry. Seifer looked over his shoulder and noticed that Quistis was slowing down a little. Seifer glanced at her curiously, before realizing that something ahead of him was growling. Something large and hungry for human flesh.  
  
By the time he had the chance to defend himself, a pair of hands pushed him off the ground, shoving him unto the ground with imaginable force. He cursed in pain as his shoulder made contact with the ground instead of his hand. He could hear noises in the background and as he turned to see what it was, a flash of light blinded his eyes. He covered his eyes with his hands and cursed some more obscene words to get his anger out. It was only in seconds did he finally see the light fading away. It was only seconds did he finally see Quistis standing there awkwardly, her back facing him. Seifer stood up and glared at the back of her head.  
  
"What the hell is the big idea saving my life when I could have dodged that attack?! You know, Trepe, I don't know why I didn't kill you before when I had the chance!" He looked at her, keeping his face as angry as he wished.  
  
Quistis slowly turned around, rather awkwardly, her face looking pale as a ghost. Her eyes were half closed and her honey tresses began to lose its colour so quickly. "Shut up, Seifer..." she mumbled, before falling on the ground, unconscious.   
  
Seifer's eyes widened. At that moment, he regretted the things he just said earlier. He ran to her, lifting her head up in his arms and examining her face, before shaking her and calling her name. "Quistis? Quistis!"   
  
Quistis opened her eyes slightly. "I said..." She paused, her eyes closing again.  
  
He noticed blood pouring out from a large gash just below her shoulder blade. Turning her over slowly, he saw a large, sharp-wood pierced deep from behind her back that went through her shoulder. In fear for her life, even though he had no answer on why, he lifted Quistis up in his arms and carried her to the direction where they entered the forest. He should be familiar with the surroundings by now, but Quistis was losing a lot of blood and it would be daylight by the time they get back to Garden.   
  
"You just have to act like a hero, don't you? Just like Puberty-boy," Seifer spoke softly, towards the limp form of the blond woman in his arms. He stared at her, wondering how a beauty like Quistis Trepe could still be single. "Must be your stubborn attitude then," he continued, speaking as if Quistis was listening.   
  
Quistis opened her eyes slightly, seeing only the blurred image of Seifer. She was sure Seifer was talking to her, but she couldn't understand what he was saying. A pain surged through her body and she moaned in response.   
  
Seifer sighed. He knew of a place where they could stay for the night. He stayed there once too, when he needed to hide from the men and women who were after him. Hopefully, he still remembers the exact location of that cave. "We're almost there," Seifer said, adjusting Quistis in his arms.   
  
The blond woman did not respond.   
  
Seifer glanced at her and shook her gently. Quistis' eyes opened wide. "Don't you go dying on me. I'll be charged by Squall Leonhart by murdering you. I could even be hunted down by the SeeDs."  
  
"You...(gasp) really...(gasp)... think..."   
  
Seifer shook his head. "Hey, don't talk, will ya? You of all people should know to never talk when you're injured. You taught me that, Trepe."  
  
"You still remember?" Quistis spoke, trying to catch up with her breathing.   
  
"Hell yeah! I don't have a bad memory, you know? I still remember all the boring stuff you taught me, even when Edea took me in."  
  
Quistis smiled. She couldn't believe Seifer still remembered, after all these months, the lessons she taught when he was her student. She forced her eyes to open wide, but they would keep closing. She was tired. She was too tired to speak, too tired to breath and too tired of everything. She had to admit, dying wasn't that bad either. She felt peace somehow. Now she knew how Seifer feels about dying. When you want to live so much, you feel like you're cheating death and for Quistis, it was just avoiding it.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
GoodGurl: URCK! Stupid computer of mine wouldn't let me in Fanfiction so... I had to wait until I had co-operation from my computer. WARNING: NEVER EVER GET XP! IT SUCKS! I MEAN IT SUCKS! NO OFFENSE TO THOSE WHO REALLY LIKE IT!!!!!!!!! 


	14. Dance, Dance, Dance!

Note: Awwww..... I was expecting more reviews from those who reviewed the other chapters! Oh well, at least I got some. Hey, I hope no one stops to read this story! I know most of you are itching for more Queifers, but this is also a Zelphie fic and I'm trying to make Zelphie popular too! Anyway, ENJOY! Please r/r! (even if you're not a Zelphie fan......)  
  
  
Chapter 14 - Dance, Dance, Dance!   
  
  
  
There are so many thoughts in Zell's head right now, whether to console Selphie on the matter or let her have her own privacy until she was well on her way to feeling better. He thought this was going to be a good date, but it turned out even worst than he expected. First, he got Selphie sick by driving too fast, then he gets them lost in the most confusing roads in the world and now.... they too, couldn't find the way back to Ragnarok. He glanced at his watch. The time was too late to knock on someone's door and ask to use the telephone or the bathroom for that matter. Sighing, he sat down on the ground and avoided eye contact with Selphie. He was too ashamed to show how idiotic he's been. His dates were always the worst.  
  
"Geez, Selphie, I'm so sorry. I'm such an idiot!" Zell exclaimed, slouching slightly.  
  
Selphie sat down beside him. No cars drove pass them, neither did people walk by. "Zell, don't say that. I mean... we can go to a club or something to spare the rest of the night."  
  
Zell snorted. "You think there'd be a club open at this hour? It's pass midnight."  
  
Selphie looked at him strangely. "This is Esthar, Zell, the city that never sleeps. I mean, people who usually walk these streets are probably at the club right now." She stood up and grabbed his arm, practically yanking him on his feet. Zell was surprised at Selphie's strenght, but he chose not to question. She pulled him with her.  
  
"Selphie... do you know where we're going?" he asked, looking at the back of her head.  
  
The brunette didn't answer.   
  
"Selphie?"  
  
The woman looked over her shoulder and grinned. "I might know a club somewhere here."  
  
"You do? How?" His eyes were full of curiousity.  
  
Selphie shrugged. "I don't know. Irvine told me."  
  
Zell's face fell. The last thing he'd want her to do is mention Irvine's name. Yes, Irvine's his best friend, but Selphie used to go out with him. "You... you went out on a date here?"  
  
Selphie shrugged again. "Yeah..." She glanced over her shoulder and noticed Zell's disappointed look. She frowned. "Zell, Irvine and I are through," she spoke, stopping. She turned around and smiled at him. "Who cares whether Irvine and I went here or not. We're on a date, so we should forget everything that has happened."  
  
Zell nodded. She's right. This is stupid to be worrying about now. What he should be worrying about is the date he's been trying so hard not to ruin. So far, since getting Selphie sick and getting both of them lost, the date was turning out fine. "So... where exactly is this club?"  
  
Selphie didn't look at him, instead, she pulled him with her through the down hill crystal road. "You'll see," she answered.  
  
  
****************  
  
Just as she expected, the club stayed the same the last time she was here. Special lights danced around the small area of the club, while darkness surrounded the rest. A band played on the stage, by the name of Power House, the band whom Selphie and Irvine danced to during their first date. 'No... I shouldn't think about that,' she thought. She was on a date with Zell, so why should she think of Irvine?   
  
Zell examined the club. There was a bar to the left when they entered, all packed with men and women talking with the bar man and just sitting and thinking about life. Two stairs, slightly to the left, led to the tables and chairs making a semi-circle around the dance floor and where couples can sit and chat and watch the people dance. The dance floor, Zell noticed, was packed with people jumping to the beat, as if they were on a rock concert, while different coloured lights danced over top of their heads. Linked to the dance floor was a large platform where the band played. Two men in guitar, a woman in drums and a woman being the lead singer make them a perfect combination, an equal for both men and women to those who think that men always get the spotlight. Zell jumped at Selphie's squeek of excitment. Glancing towards her, he gave her a curious look, before she led him, practically running with him to the dance floor.   
  
Men and women they passed by stared at them as they joined in with the other couples dancing to the music. Selphie placed Zell's hands on her hips, while she wrapped her arms around neck. She began to grind against him, Zell's face turning a dark, crimson red. He's never danced like this before. Well, he's never danced at all.   
  
"Um... Selphie?" He cleared his throat, before continuing to talk. "I don't know how to dance."  
  
Selphie looked at him and smiled. "That's okay. I'll lead, you follow." She began to sway her hips, looking once and awhile towards Zell to see if he was following. Zell was staring at his feet the whole time, trying to make the moves right. Selphie giggled, shaking her head. "No, Zell, look at me."  
  
Zell gulped and obeyed, prying his eyes off his feet and towards Selphie's emerald eyes.   
  
"Much better," Selphie whispered. "All you have to do is move with the beat."  
  
Zell looked at her in confusion. "Move with the beat?"  
  
"Yeah. Think about martial arts."  
  
"Martial arts.... Hm...." He removed his arms from Selphie and grinned at her. "Like this?" To her surprise, Zell began to punch the air, his feet actually moving, but off beat. His feet, stomping and grinding slightly from the music, attracted people's attention, as they turned and watched the blond man with the spikey hair. Zell didn't know what he was doing, but he was enjoying it. Selphie giggled, enjoying the entertainment.   
  
Zell began to break dance. What was possessing him? Even he didn't know the answer to the question. He was just dancing for no apparent reason.  
  
Selphie watched in astonishment at his talent. He may not know how to move with the beat, but he knew how to break dance... off beat. She was amazed, practically impressed. Men and women began to gather around him, smiling and clapping with him as he danced. There was one move that worried Selphie. Zell quickly twirled upside down on the floor, his hands curved slightly in front of him as he turned quick, his head planted firmly on the ground. Yet, when she noticed him getting up and having a good time, Selphie breathed a sigh of relief.  
  
By then, women began to gather around him. They blocked Selphie's way, forcing her to leave the dance floor and watch from afar. Beautiful women smiled and winked at Zell as he moved. He enjoyed the attention. Selphie sighed and smiled to herself, knowing Zell was having so much fun and seated herself on the bar. She ordered a non-alcoholic beverage, since she was still underaged to drink any real alcohol. She kept watch as Zell began to dance with all the other women on the dance floor. He was having a good time, which was good. At that moment, Zell reminded Selphie of Irvine. But, she had nothing to worry about. Zell was an honest man.  
  
When the bar tender handed her the non-alcoholic pina colada, with a straw, Selphie took a sip at the drink, while watching Zell. More women gathered around him, grinding with him. The men were kicked out of the dance floor, unwilling to dance with the break dancing blond, unless he was someone interested in men and sat at the side lines, watching the winner of the game.   
  
Selphie laughed at that thought.   
  
"What's a beautiful woman like you doing in a place like this?" Selphie heard someone say beside her. She rolled her eyes. 'Gee, I wonder where I heard that line before?' she thought. Glancing to her right, she noticed a dark haired man, fairly handsome man, wearing a dark blue turtle-necked sweater and black pants. He had the nicest colour of blue-grey eyes and the widest of smiles, even wider than Irvine's.   
  
"I have a date," she simply answered.  
  
"Oh, you mean that man over there on the dance floor dancing with all the women?" he asked, glancing at Zell.  
  
Selphie frowned. "Yeah that's him. He's just having a good time."  
  
The man leaned closer towards her. "Why isn't he having a good time with you? You seem to be less important to him."  
  
The man's words stung her. "Of course I'm important to him. He cares for me."  
  
"Then, what are you doing here while he's out there if he cares for you?"   
  
Selphie didn't know how to answer that.   
  
"Tell you what. I'll wait here and if he doesn't come back to you in five minutes, you go out on a date with me. Deal?"   
  
Selphie couldn't help but smile. This man was persistent, but somewhat funny. "I don't know. What if he does come back?" She looked at him in a mocking smile.  
  
The man shrugged. "Simple. You and him finish your date and I can go home and eat bon bons while watching television and think about the woman whom I met tonight."  
  
Selphie laughed. "Well, maybe, maybe not."  
  
"So, is that a deal then?"   
  
Selphie just smiled.   
  
The man looked at her and smiled as well. "You know, that guy is a jerk for leaving someone alone with a beautiful smile like yours." He held out his hand. "By the way, the name's Stallion Rath."  
  
Selphie shook his hand. He was a sweet guy. "Hi, I'm Selphie Tilmitt. It's wonderful to meet you, Stallion, but he is my date so I have to keep my word on it."  
  
"Oh really?" Stallion arched an eyebrow. He glanced at Zell. "He's keeping his word all right."  
  
Selphie glanced at Stallion. "I know he is. He's just... having a good time, that's all."  
  
Stallion nodded and turned to his drink, never taking another glance at Selphie. "Uh-huh," he spoke, before taking a sip of his beer.  
  
Selphie took one look at him, before turning his attention on Zell. 'I'm sure he'll come back in five minutes. Stallion was nice, but it didn't give him the right to judge Zell like that.'  
  
  
****************  
  
Five minutes pass.....  
  
Selphie sighed, resting her head on her upward palm. Already five minutes and Zell was still dancing, non-stop. Her drink was losing its taste and she had no idea how long she can wait. She knew now that Zell had forgotten about her. Maybe he never liked her in the first place. Maybe it was just a friendly thing.   
  
"So," a voice spoke beside her, the same voice she heard before, which startled her. "Is he here yet?"  
  
Selphie was getting annoyed with the man. She glanced at him and frowned. She didn't answer, indicating that Zell was still there, dancing with one woman this time.   
  
Stallion grinned. "Well? How about that date?"  
  
Selphie glanced swiftly at Zell, her mouth still having that frown on her face. "Do you pick up women from the bar all the time?"  
  
Stallion shrugged. "No. I only pick up the most beautiful women from the bar. How about it? We had a deal."  
  
"I'm not a woman who you can make a deal out of," Selphie answered. She heard a click beside her and felt a sharp end pointing to her side. Selphie didn't move, instead she looked straight ahead and gulped the fear out of her mind.   
  
"Well, now you just have to be, babe," he whispered so close to her ear. Selphie felt like he was kissing her erotically from the tip of her ears to her most vulnerable part... her neck. "A deal is a deal and no one backs out on this deal."  
  
Selphie was about to object, when he playfully shoved the knife closer to her ribs. She wanted to scream for help towards Zell, but he was too far away. No one can hear from all the loud music.   
  
"How about you do what I say so I won't have to kill you? If you don't, I will be forced to kill you and after you're dead, I will be forced to go after your boyfriend and kill him too." Stallion raised the knife higher, away from the view of the people around them, towards her beck, near her spine. "It would be a shame to hurt someone as fragile as you."  
  
"What do you want?" Selphie whispered back. "Do you want money? I don't have the money, but I can give you the money back in Balamb and-" she gasped, as Stallion threatened to cut her by jabbing the knife gently at her spine.   
  
"I don't want no money!" Stallion whispered loudly. "I just want a damn date... is that so much to ask?"  
  
"N-no... not at all," Selphie answered.   
  
"Good... now, be a good girl and wave to your boyfriend."   
  
Selphie did as she was told. With a shaky hand, she waved to the blond man on the dance floor. She felt large, strong hands taking her small ones and pulling out backwards out of her chair and into the back door. Selphie struggled to get away, while his knife was kept away from her, but it was to no avail. Stallion's grip on her was far too strong than she can muster. Stallion lead her out the back door and into a dark alley, where mostly rats lived. They passed a large garbage can as they stepped quickly out of the club, where garbage, loads of food that were half eaten or barely eaten at all, rotted into a green mustardy colour. Some landed on the ground and some hung loosely at the egde of the black, rectangular can. They passed smaller garbage cans and skinless cats eating the bones of a fish carcass on the ground. Selphie smelled the fowl smell of the sewers as they passed a manhole. Stallion pulled her to a corner, to where un-made boxes were piled up on the floor to make a large mountain. Selphie glanced quickly to the door that lead to the club. It was some metres away and she was ready to run.   
  
Before she could decide, however, Stallion pulled her in front of him and pushed her roughly on the cardboard boxes. She laid, emotionless, fear striking her beating heart, making her feel insecure about what was going on so far. She looked helplessly at Stallion, hoping he would let her go, but he did not. Selphie struggled at his grip, but, once again, it did not work. Stallion jumped on top of her and grinned.   
  
"Please no!" Selphie's eyes widened in fear. She opened her mouth to scream, but Stallion already had her mouth clamping shut by his free hand, while the other held tightly around both her wrists. She kicked and screamed, but Stallion had her pinned down on the ground and he was too heavy for her to push him off.   
  
Tear soaked Selphie's skin. No words were spoken.   
  
Stallion grunted, grinning at once while he zipped open his pants and lifted up her yellow skirt. More tears soaked Selphie's eyes. Her fear jumped at her skin, like a disease.   
  
She lifted up her leg, so her knees made contact with Stallion, to hit him where it hurts, but Stallion caught sight of that and grabbed her leg, putting it around himself.   
  
Selphie was too tired to struggle anymore. Stallion went inside her, the pain seething like boiling water in her body. She was afraid. Too afraid. She felt Stallion kiss her neck, the vulnerable spot and Selphie flinched.   
  
"Don't worry, I'll make it all feel better," he whispered in her ear. He went inside her again, grunting at every motion. Selphie did not fight back anymore, letting her do as he pleases. She was fighting inside her mind. Fighting the emotions that rummaged through her brain. She wanted him to stop.  
  
"Please.... stop...." She closed her eyes and attempted to push him off, yet, it was useless.   
  
Stallion smiled. "I'll stop the pain... don't worry," he hummed.  
  
Selphie forced to keep her eyes open, however, the fatigue in her body was enabling her to keep her eyes open. She was too tired. Much too tired to fight back. She might as well give in. Zell was nowhere to be seen.  
  
'Zell.. where are you? I need you...' she thought in her mind.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
GoodGurl: Yeah, yeah, I know what you're thinking... you're thinking... how could you do this to her? How could Zell leave her there under Stallion's grasp? And, I thought this was going to be a funny Zelphie... well, to tell you the truth, I'm not that good in comedy... I am.. sort of... but I didn't make anyone laugh, so I decided to make Zelphie serious now. Well, I hope you enjoy it... well, not literally.... Selphie is being raped.... but... um.... well, just review, all right? Please???????????? K, thanx! ;) 


	15. Backwards

Note: Sorry for that long wait... I was counting on for more reviews... but oh well... Hey, so this is... you guessed it! A Queifer! Yep... to all those Queifer fans out there! Please review!  
  
  
  
Chapter 15 - Backwards   
  
  
  
He watched her, her face, ghostly pale and marked with so much pain. It was a miracle he was able to pull out the dagger from her shoulder blade without her screaming so loud. Like a pro, Quistis Trepe closed her mouth tight and hummed at the pain that surged through her body as he worked with her wound. For a few minutes, Seifer worked long and hard to get the dagger out and when he had success, Quistis, tired from the long walk through the forest and the previous fight with the Octopai, fell asleep on the ground. Her head was resting on his jacket, which he folded neatly so she could rest easily. He had to admit, he was thankful for Quistis for saving his life. No other person could have done that to him, other than Fujin and Raijin, but Quistis... Quistis risked her very life to save the man who deserved none of it. He couldn't understand why.   
  
Mindlessly, he took out his lighter which he rarely used from his pant pocket and lit the bottom part of the packed wood he gathered from the forest. The fire burned bright and shot up towards the direction of the ceiling and became the only light of their small shelter. Shadows danced around them, the shadows of two lonely souls. He watched outside, where the sky was in its usual pace, darkened by charcoal, brightened by stars. He closed his eyes slowly. His body begins to lose its life, as sleep takes over him. He didn't need to worry about the temperature. The warmth of the fire beside him was enough as he fell fast asleep, thinking back on the days of the orphanage.....   
  
  
  
**************  
  
  
A young girl and a boy played in the sand. The boy, one with shot blond hair and emerald green eyes stood watching the little blond girl make sand castles out of the plastic pales Matron gave them.   
  
The girl gathers all the wet sand inside the bucket with her shovel and creates another room beside her magnificent castle.   
  
The boy, with his own shovel and his feet, ready to bring down the castle, stood on guard, waiting for the right moment.   
  
The girl took her eyes off of the castle for one moment, when large feet came stumbling towards her. Before she could react, the little boy's feet had already crushed the creative castle that she has worked so hard to make. Quistis looked up, her eyes full of anger.   
  
"Seifer!!!!" she screamed, her tiny voice carrying on into the wind. She clenched her fists and ran after the little blond boy, while the boy chuckled and ran away from her. She chased him around the beach, others watching them. The boys laughed, while the girls nagged at them for being so mean. Seifer ran to the deeper side of the water, hoping to lose her, since Quistis didn't know how to swim and waited there. Quistis stopped at the shallow end, gritting her teeth in anger.   
  
"You ruined my castle, Seifer!" Quistis yelled at the top of her lungs.  
  
Seifer stuck his tongue out and laughed. "Yeah well, you can't swim!"   
  
Quistis scowled at him. She could not let Seifer get the winning hand! Matron always told her to face her fears. Making her decision, Quistis stepped closer towards Seifer and towards the deep end. She gulped, nervously, knowing how frightened she was of the deep end. She remembered almost drowning when Matron was teaching her how to swim. For some reason, she's always feared water.  
  
"Don't do it, Quisty!" came a nine year old girl's voice. Quistis looked over her shoulder at Selphie and smiled at her reassuringly.  
  
"It's okay, Selphie. I can do it," Quistis replied.  
  
"You're scared of water, Quisty!" came a second voice, stating the obvious. A blond stepped in beside Selphie and frowned worriedly at the older girl.   
  
Quistis frowned and shook her head. "Just watch me!" She turned her attention back in front of her and took two more steps. She could feel the water going up to her knees now. Her heart started to beat. "See? I can do it!" Sweat poured down the sides of her face as she looked up at Seifer in desperation. She could not let Seifer get away with it! She worked long and hard to make her castle beautiful. She was so close to being finished. "Seifer! I hate you! You ruined my castle! You can't get away with it, this time!" She took a few more steps, the water reaching her thighs this time, shivering when she felt the bottom cold water tingling her skin.   
  
Seifer smirked. "You can't make it. You're too chicken for water!" He folded his arms across his chest and waited, rolling his eyes in scrutiny, as if knowing that she'll never make it to him.   
  
Quistis' eyes flared in anger. She began to walk faster, not knowing how much the water reached her. "I-CAN-TO!" she yelled. This time, she did not mind the water. She was too set on Seifer to even notice the deep end had reached her. She paused when her feet felt nothing but cold air. She began to panic. She kicked and screamed, not knowing what to do. She had to feel something, yet, as she forced herself to swim back, she could not. She was too scared. She struggled to move her head out of the water, her arms flailing about, as her feet moved openly on the water, desperately trying to find the ground. She managed to get her head out of the water once and was able to scream for help.  
  
"HEL-" The water in her lungs made her stop in mid sentence as she coughed up, finding her breathing. She flailed some more, wishing she had never done what she had done in the first place, wishing Seifer never ruined the castle in order to keep herself from running after him in the water. She felt strong arms lifting her up from the danger. Opening her eyes slightly, she noticed a pair of green eyes staring back at her in concern. The same hands carried her by the waist and pulled her back to the shallow end. Quistis clutched at her chest and coughed some more, crawling back into land. Kids gathered around her and her savior. Her golden hair laid tangled behind her, wrapping itself around her back. She felt hands patting her back gently. Quistis landed on her back on something soft and looked up at the concerned faces of the other children. She didn't care who or what it was she landed on, as long as she was back. She felt a strong arm, protectively around her shoulders. Startled, Quistis looked up to see Seifer sitting up beside her, watching her in guilt.  
  
"Quisty? Are you okay now?" the young blond asked.  
  
Quistis nodded, water streaming down her face. She didn't know why she was not angry with him, since he was the reason she almost drowned. Part of her wanted to slap him across the face and part of her wanted to hug him and thank him for saving her life. However, before she could decide, a large shadow kneeled down beside her and wrapped a warm blanket on her shoulders.   
  
"Quistis! What on earth do you think you were doing?!" Matron's angry voice echoed in her ears, slightly stinging her. She looked up at the glaring eyes of the dark haired woman. She has never seen Matron this angry before.   
  
"I'm sorry, Matron. I didn't mean to make you upset," the blond girl spoke, looking down on the ground in shame.   
  
"It was my fault, Matron. I ruined her castle," Seifer's voice came suddenly behind them.  
  
Matron pulled Quistis inside the house and looked over her shoulder. "It still does not give Quistis the reason to kill herself!"   
  
Quistis pouted. "I... I just wanted to get at Seifer, Matron. He teased me and-"  
  
"It doesn't matter, Quistis! You have no idea how scared I was when you were in that water! It was a good thing Seifer was there!"  
  
"SEIFER TEASED ME!" Quistis yelled. "I had to prove that I could face my fears! YOU TOLD ME TO DO THAT!" The blond girl frowned and looked at Seifer peeking through the door. She furrowed her eyebrows, glanced at Matron and ran out of the room, ignoring Matron's calls.  
  
  
****************  
  
She watched the sunset, the same blanket wrapped around her shoulders to keep her warm, while the wind blew her hair behind her. This was the place where no one knew about. No one could find her here. Everyday, when she wanted to ponder and calm herself, she would come here. Her last day in the orphanage and she was already scolded but the one person whom she's always considered her mother. Matron never yelled at her like that. That thought made her tears show, as it streamed down her sorrowful face.   
  
Suddenly, Quistis heard footsteps behind her. Quickly alert, the blond girl stood up and turned around quickly to see the intruder, only to find a young blond boy lifting up his hand up in front of him to show he meant no harm. Quistis grimaced at the sight of Seifer. She turned away from him and sat back down. Seifer was the only person who knew of this place. She entrusted the knowledge to Seifer mainly, because he threatened to cut off Mickey's head, the doll that Matron gave especially to her.   
  
"What do you want, Seifer? Are you here to make fun of me again?" She folded her arms across her chest and pouted angrily. "Go ahead. I'm just glad I'm leaving tomorrow so I won't have to hear from you again!" Tears fell freely from her eyes.  
  
Seifer's eyes widened. "You're- you're leaving?" He couldn't believe what he was hearing. "Why?" He sat down beside her and watched her wipe the tears with the back of her hand.   
  
"I was adopted by nice people. I'm just glad I was so I won't have to listen to you make fun of me!" She glanced at him angrily, before standing up and walking slowly to the cliff, watching the sun closely as it begins to hide behind the ocean.   
  
Seifer, in concern to what had happened before, stepped slightly towards her, wanting to reach out and comfort her. Sadly, he put his arm down and looked down on the ground in shame. "I- I'm sorry, Quisty. I never meant for you to drown like that. 'Sides, you did it! You're the one who was too stubborn enough to listen to Selphie or Zell about not going into the water! You know you're scared of it! Why did you have to prove yourself?"  
  
Quistis clenched her fists and turned quickly around, charging at Seifer in full speed. She raised her hand and slapped Seifer across the face. The blond boy fell back in shock. He looked up at her in surprise. The hand, like a whip in a warden's hands, stung his small face and a drop of tear appeared in the corner of his eyes.   
  
No matter how right Seifer was then, Quistis continued to glare at him. "I hate you Seifer! I really hate you!" Without another word, Quistis turned and walked away, leaving Seifer hurt and confused.  
  
  
  
***************  
  
Seifer opened his eyes suddenly. The dream felt so real. He placed a hand on his face, hoping it wasn't one of those dream-projecting thing that most television shows seem to perceive. When he felt nothing warm, he looked up at the sound of Quistis' moans. He stood up quickly and watched her shiver. She was cold from the open air.  
  
The blond man removed the coat that was used like a pillow from underneath Quistis' head and unfolded it quietly. He placed the large coat over her tiny body and wrapped it around her body like a blanket. Quistis stopped shivering.   
  
After doing the job, he watched her form again. She looked so helpless. The 'leaf' bandage that was used to cover her wound, which he found while gathering wood, was still dry. This told him that Quistis was not losing a lot of blood. He thanked the Gods silently of her fast recovery.   
  
Sitting back down on his original position, he laid his head on the rock and watched the night sky. He thought about the dream he had, whether it was a memory or just a dream. It was impossible that it was a dream, since part of it was like a memory. Neverthless, it was also impossible to be a memory, when he did not remember anything of that happening. Whatever it was, Seifer decided to leave it at that, as he closed his eyes back to sleep.  
  
  
  
****************  
  
"Bye Quisty! I'll miss you!" Selphie hugged the older girl, tears falling freely down the older girl's back. Quistis smiled.  
  
"I'll miss you too, Seffie!" Quistis replied. She pulled away from her and smiled at the petite girl. Other kids took part in saying their good byes and there was just one more person missing. Quistis searched around for him, but he was nowhere in sight. She knew exactly where he would be though. She looked at Matron, asking for a few minutes and when she had her permission, dashed pass the kids and ran to Seifer's hideout. They knew of each other's hideout. She couldn't believe she slapped Seifer like that. They were really close friends and there was no reason for her to be angry any longer. She regretted all the things she said to him yesterday.  
  
"Seifer?" she called. She walked around the hiding area, which was near hers, just over the hills pass the orphanage house and down to another cave, larger than her own. "Seifer, where are you?" She went inside cautiously, searching around for him. She turned the small corner, hoping he would be there, but he wasn't. She was ready to turn and leave, when Seifer's small voice came out of nowhere.  
  
"Are you leaving now?" Seifer asked, peeking his head out from one of the holes on the 'second floor.' Quistis looked up and nodded sadly. Seifer had his back rested on the walls as his feet dangled from the edge of the extra room. He didn't look at her. "All right. Good bye."  
  
Quistis' heart lurched. "Can I- Can I get a hug?"   
  
"No," he answered, straightforward.  
  
The blond girl shuffled uncomfortably. She deserved that. "Listen, Seify, I'm sorry for what I said. I don't hate you. I was just angry, that's all."  
  
Seifer finally looked at her, his face still as serious as ever. "I deserved to be slapped, but I didn't deserve what you said to me. I thought we were friends, Quisty?"  
  
"We are," the girl answred.  
  
"Okay. Then, good bye." He turned away from her and continued to ponder in his own thoughts.  
  
Quistis looked at him. She wanted to say more, but she knew time was running short. "Okay," she spoke quietly. "I understand you still hate me but... remember me, Seify, okay? I won't forget you... ever."  
  
Seifer did not respond.  
  
"Please, Seify! Talk to me! I said I was sorry!" When she didn't hear him respond, Quistis frowned and turned away. She walked out of the cave without another word from her.  
  
Seifer watched the retreating blond, guilt filling his heart. He cared for her and even though he didn't understand anything about love, he knew he loved her. Those words she said stung him like a wasp, causing him ache in his heart. How can he forgive the one girl he loves the most when that person said something cruel to him? Someday... he will..........  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
GoodGurl: Awww.... That was so sad! That's all I'm going to say, but PLEASE r/r!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Thanx! :) 


	16. Where Do We Go From Here?

Note: Hi everyone! I know there's a lot of Queifer/Seiftis and Zelphie/Selphell out there! Where are they? Please r/r! I know you guys were mad because of what happened to Selphie, but this chapter will explain a more twisted event that will surely confuse you. Anyway, here I go! ENJOY!  
  
  
Chapter 16 -Where Do We Go From Here?  
  
  
~ She needed someone to stay by her side, someone who would never hurt her and someone she can trust for the rest of her life.  
  
  
  
He shook her gently, worried for her. She had tears in her eyes, sleeping on the bed, shaking and mumbling his name. When he heard his name being called, he immediately went by her side to gently wake her up from her nightmare.  
  
"Selphie?"  
  
She shook and cried, more tears streaming down her face. Suddenly, as if something had struck her, opened her eyes and sat up. With her first glance at his face, she wrapped her arms around him and cried in his chest. Surprised, Zell embraced her in return and rubbed her back for comfort.   
  
"Zell... Zell, you're here. You're here...." she whimpered.  
  
Zell closed his eyes, rubbing her back continuously. "Of course I'm here. I'm never going to leave your side, ever."  
  
"Why didn't you come when I called you? Why didn't you look if I was still there or not?" she hummed, her voice sounding shallow against his chest.   
  
The blond pulled her away so he could look into her eyes in confusion. "What? Of course I was there! I could never leave you alone, not with that jerk hitting on you. I just left you for a couple of minutes to go to the bathroom and when I came back, he took my spot beside you and began to hit on you constantly."  
  
"He- he was? What?" Something didn't make sense to her. "What are you talking about?"  
  
"Well, you don't remember any of it, I guess," Zell answered. "We went for a drink at the bar and I excused myself to go the bathroom. I asked you to order me something to drink, not anything hard. When I came back, I noticed you drank at least two glasses of a Shirley Temple and you just went nuts, I tell ya. You began to dance crazy and you passed out after that. I had to carry you all the way here in the hotel to let you rest."  
  
Selphie looked at him, making sure she heard right. She was drunk? She doesn't remember her being drunk so much. No wonder Irvine didn't let her drink, since he knew what would happen to her if she did. She never remembers everything that she does when she drank. Overwhelmed by the truth she had heard, knowing the horrible dream she just had, Selphie collapsed in Zell's arms and wept.  
  
"Oh God, Zell! It was too horrible! I- I thought- it seemed to so real! He... he...." She choked, not really sure what to say anymore. Tears streamed in beads upon Zell's lap and soaked his pants.   
  
Zell frowned in concern. "What is it Selphie? Did that guy do something to you? If he did, I swear I'll kill him!"  
  
Selphie almost laughed. She shook her head in response and looked up to meet his eyes. Zell was there for her. He never danced with all those women. He never ignored her. He never left her behind to be raped by the man in her dreams. It was all in her head, drunk beyond anything. She did remember walking inside the club, but everything else was just a blur. "No, he didn't do anything. It was just a dream I had." She buried her face again in his chest and smiled. He was there all along.  
  
  
****************  
  
"Zell?" Zell opened his eyes, the soft voice making his heart jump. Looking down, he noticed Selphie looking at him. He hadn't realized he had fallen asleep on her bed, trying to comfort her from her distress. He blushed suddenly and pulled quickly from her.   
  
"Yeah.... What is it?" He rubbed the back of his neck nervously and sat up.  
  
Selphie smiled, her green eyes sparkling in happiness. "Did you stay all night with me?"  
  
Zell shrugged. "I guess, I did. I must have fallen asleep, sorry."  
  
The brunette shook her head. "Hey, don't worry about it. I liked it when you're nearby." She blushed at that comment and waited for him to answer. It was odd being so close with each other on that bed that they hadn't realized how close. Selphie adjusted herself on the bed and, without a second thought, moved over to her right to make room for him. "Will you stay with me?" That horrible nightmare last night was too horrible to forget. She needed someone to stay by her side, someone who would never hurt her and someone she can trust for the rest of her life. That someone was Zell.   
  
Zell nodded and laid back down beside her. He didn't exactly know what to do in this situation. What do you do when a girl asked you to sleep beside her? Wrap an arm around her? Those questions were suddenly answered when Selphie took his hand and placed it around her shoulders. She pulled herself against him and rested her head against his chest. She didn't know why, but she felt safe in his arms. She felt comfortable.   
  
The blond was neither shocked, nor surprised at this closeness, but Zell felt somewhat comfortable with her. They have known each other for a long time that Zell could not help but stay by her side. It felt like old times. "Are you feeling better now?" he whispered, unsure of what to say. He stared up at the ceiling, watching as the lights from outside danced with their shadows.   
  
Selphie closed her eyes and smiled. "Much better," she whispered in response. "Zell? Does that mean you're my boyfriend?" she asked. It was embarrassing to ask him the question, but there was no point in holding it any longer. Her crush was even more than just a crush. When he admitted he carried her to a nearby hotel and stayed by her side, Selphie has never felt precious and cared for all her life. All the guys she's gone out with always depended on her, never once did they make her feel good about herself. But Zell... Zell made her feel different. Zell made her feel beautiful.  
  
The blond didn't know what to say. They haven't really kissed yet, and the date so far was going nowhere. Would that mean she is his girlfriend?  
  
As if reading his thoughts, Selphie leaned over and kissed him gently on the lips, then pulled away from him to wait for his response. She blushed at herself for being so aggressive.   
  
Zell smiled and looked at her. He leaned over and kissed her back, more passionate this time. They have waited far too long for this moment. Maybe it was time to make a move. After a couple of minutes of bliss, Zell pulled away from Selphie, leaving her breathless and put his head back down on the pillow, keeping his position by Selphie's side.  
  
"I guess we are," he whispered.  
  
Selphie smiled and leaned closer, much closer; resting her head against him, her breath tickling his neck. She reached over and stroked his honey, golden hair. She's always dreamed of taking his hair between her fingers and feel its softness.   
  
  
****************  
  
The next morning had came. Selphie was just recovering from her hangover, while Zell prepared for departure on Ragnarok, which Laguna found earlier just outside of the entrance. Zell had asked Laguna to look for Ragnarok, because they didn't know where they were. They were too lost to go back and figure out which road to take. Laguna gladly took the offer and brought Ragnarok to the hotel that Zell and Selphie were staying. Lucky for them, there was a phone in the hotel.   
  
"Ready?" Zell asked, as he saw Selphie walk down the stairs. She was getting over her headache, when a door slammed. Selphie winced in pain and almost fell off the stairs, but she managed to keep herself steady. She walked over to the desk where Zell was standing and nodded.   
  
"Ready," she retorted. Zell took her hand, paid the cashier and guided her out the door, where Ragnarok waited for them. The blond reminded himself not to drive too fast this time, remembering the last time he made Selphie throw up and remembering that Selphie was still recovering from the hangover last night. He opened the door to the red mobile and they stepped inside without a word amongst each other. They were both still trying to figure out where their relationship was going.   
  
Selphie followed Zell inside the bridge and seated themselves on their respectable chairs by the controls. They fastened their seatbelts, which Selphie had trouble doing every time her headache kicked in and prepared for launch. Zell looked at Selphie and made sure she was ready and when Selphie gave him a thumbs up, he smiled and started the engine.  
  
They were going back. The date went horribly wrong. Where will they go from here?  
  
Selphie glanced at Zell. She fidgeted with her fingers, hands clasped together, while twirling her thumbs. She didn't know what to say to him. The kiss made her feel good inside and at the same time, it made her feel nervous. All the guys she's gone out with started as gentlemen, but a week after, they would lose interest on her and begin to act like jerks. How will Zell be different? When Zell looked her way, Selphie removed her eyes from him.  
  
Zell looked at her, wondering where they will go from here. He was always bad at dates, he knew that. Every girl he's gone out with dumped him because he was such a klutz. He was beginning to feel nervous about this new relationship with Selphie. What if it doesn't go well? He was always bad at relationships.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
GoodGurl: Sorry... I know it was mean to shock you like that, but hey, at least Selphie wasn't raped. Now, you're wondering... Selphie? Drunk? Now, that's rich! I guess she was nervous at that time, who knows! Even I don't know why she was drunk then, just as long as she's all right and that Zell never left her in the first place. Twisted, eh? Heh, heh! I am sooo mean! Anyway, the question of where they go from here? You'll have to find out on the next chapter of Zelphie! 


	17. Forwards

Note: Hey, I know that last chapter was kinda... eh... weird, but hey at least Selphie was not actually raped! Now that's a good news for all of you! I just hate it when something like that happens to any of the girls in FF8! Well, here's chapter 17. I was hoping for more reviews, but hey, at least I got some! Heh heh... here we go! ENJOY!  
  
HEY! Who's seen "A Walk To Remember?" It was sooo sad! And I loved the songs too!  
  
  
  
Chapter 17 - Forwards   
  
  
  
She opened her eyes, her memories were unclear of what happened. She dreamed of being carried off to a shelter by someone tall and wearing a gray trench coat. Why wouldn't any woman dream of that?   
  
Sitting up from her sleeping position, Quistis found herself in a small, dark cave. She leaned forward, placed her feet on the ground and stood up. She never noticed the coat that was used as a blanket fall on the ground. There was no light to let her see where she was going, but she was just too tired to even care. She winced as a pain surged through her body. She glanced at the source and was staring at something on her right shoulder. A large, leaf-like bandage was wrapped around her armpits and around the wound. In a tired gaze, she removed her eyes from the wound and began to walk forward. She was unaware of someone sleeping on the ground.   
  
For some reason, she needed to get back to Balamb. She took another step and gasped a bit too late, when her toe hit something hard. She heard someone curse as she flailed her arms fearfully, trying to find her footing, when she fell forward, on top of something soft. The next thing she knew, she was staring at a pair of green eyes.   
  
"Trepe! What the hell?!" Quistis blinked. She had landed on top of Seifer, who was staring at her in anger. He had his arms wrapped around her, trying to hold her steady, but removed them quickly when he realized they were too close. Much too close.   
  
The blond woman did not know what to say. Quistis lifted herself up and quickly straightened her posture. Seifer stood up as well, staring at her. The blond woman didn't know what to make of this. He wasn't wearing his usual trench coat. He was just wearing a black shirt that showed his muscular chest. She stared at the necklace that was usually covered when he wore his coat and she had this chance to see what it said. Like what Matron mentioned before, it was a silver cross attached to a black and blue band.   
  
"Is there something you found amusing on my shirt, Instructor?" Seifer smirked, folding his arms across his chest... a very typical Seifer posse.   
  
She removed her eyes from him and looked around frantically."Where- where am I? Why am I here?" Quistis stared back at Seifer, waiting for an answer. She reached for her weapon, but grabbed nothing but air. She glanced at the holster and looked back up at the tall blond. "Where's my weapon?"  
  
Seifer rolled his eyes and pointed to his left. Quistis followed his finger and there, lying across another rock, laid her Save The Queen. Quistis grabbed it quickly and replaced it back on her holster. Pain suddenly struck her. The blond woman grabbed at her shoulder and winced.   
  
The blond man watched her in pain. Inside, he was concerned for her, but in the outside... he was empty. Why did this woman affect him so much? What was so special about her? He kept asking these questions in his head, yet no answers were ever given to him. He noticed Quistis was still wincing in pain. Seifer stepped forward, but withdrew quickly when Quistis brushed pass him.  
  
Seifer quickly turned around. "Hey, what the hell are you doing?"   
  
Quistis paused and glanced over her shoulder. Turning around, she gave Seifer a curious look. "What? Don't you want to find your weapon?"  
  
Seifer shook his head. "Not in your condition, you're not. You have to go back and get that checked out by Dr. Kadowaki."  
  
The blond woman smirked. "Who are you, my mother?" She was somewhat curious about what he just said. Was Seifer Almasy concerned for the well being of Quistis Trepe?   
  
The ex-knight scowled. "FINE... GET HURT! See if I care!" He grabbed his coat from the ground, walked pass her and through the bushes he went. Quistis arched her eyebrow and followed him.  
  
  
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He thought it over. There was no other place they could look of where she was. She was missing for several hours now. What if something happened to her? What if that bastard Seifer kidnapped her to get back at him?  
  
"That's not possible." Squall heard the door opening and he looked up to see Rinoa walking towards him, her blue duster trailing behind her. "Don't even think about that, Squall."  
  
"Rin, stop reading my thoughts," Squall murmured. He sighed, tapped his pen on the table and sighed the second time. "Seifer is the reason Quistis isn't here. He kidnapped her so he could get back at me and the others."  
  
Rinoa walked over and frowned. She folded her arms across her chest and shook her head. Squall had his reasons to worry about Quistis. Quistis was like a second sister to Squall. Since Ellone left, the blond Instructress had always been the closest older sister to him and the rest of the gang. "Squall, maybe Quistis went after him."  
  
Squall looked up, angrily. The way Rinoa said those words made him curious. She knew something he didn't. "What are you talking about, Rin? Is there something going on between them?" He stared at her accusingly.  
  
The dark haired girl furrowed her eyebrows, shaking her head in disbelief. How cold Squall ever accuse her of hiding something? "Squall, please stop interrogating me," Rinoa spoke, sitting down on the chair in front of him. "Honestly, I don't know. I don't interfere in anyone's lives, Squall."  
  
"Yet, you interfere with my thoughts," Squall put in, taking his eyes away from her.  
  
"You know that's not true. Squall, I only listen when the thoughts are important. I listen when-"  
  
"When it comes to Seifer," Squall interrupted.  
  
Rinoa frowned. She stood up and planted both her fists on her hips. "What is wrong with you?! Why do you keep referring back to Seifer?"  
  
"Because every time you see him, you act like nothing happened, Rin!" Squall yelled. "Have you forgotten what that ass-whole did to you? Have you forgotten how he tortured me and sacrificed you to Adel?"  
  
"Of course not, Squall!" Tears fell from her eyes. She looked up, her eyes flooded with tears. "I would never forget that! I would never forget everything you've done for me to save my life, but Squall... Squall, you have forgotten the value of forgiveness. I have forgiven him a long time ago, because I knew what he was going to do. Everyone seemed to have forgiven him and even Matron, so why can't you?"  
  
Squall stood up, turned around and stared out the window. "Because I want him out of our lives, Rin. I want nothing to do with him. I want us to be happy without his presence."  
  
"Well, I'm sorry for not forgiving him. He's still my friend and I choose my friends, Squall, not you." She wiped the tears from her eyes, turned and began to walk out. Rinoa paused by the door and looked at him. "I think you should put yourself in Seifer's shoes, Squall and see why he did what he did. Quistis, a woman who was in the same position as you, started to forgive him. It may not seem that way, but she has, a long time ago. She's just too stubborn to admit it, but her forgiveness is there." She turned back around and walked out of the room.  
  
  
****************  
  
Tired as he was, he kept going. He could hear Quistis' footsteps trailing close behind him. "I don't know why you bothered to come with me, Trepe, but I think you're just being stupid. You can't use your weapon with your injured arm."   
  
Quistis rolled her eyes."Why don't you keep worrying about your weapon and stop worrying about me?" She was flattered that he was, but Seifer would never admit to that.  
  
Seifer snorted. "Worry? About you? Hah! That's rich! Why would I worry about you? Don't you have Squally boy and his Troopers for that job?" He moved a branch out of the way, almost smacking Quistis in the face, but she managed to keep it from hitting her.   
  
The blond woman growled. "For your information, Squall has his own woman to worry about, so stop referring back to Squall, all right?"  
  
"Oh, that's right!" Seifer slapped his hand on his forehead, pretending he didn't know anything and chuckled. "He dumped you for Rin, didn't he? It's too bad though, 'cause you'd look cute together." He paused and looked at her. "I can see it now..." He stared up at the sky in a pretend dreamy state and lifted up his hand to write something. "The Ice King and Queen!"  
  
Quistis frowned. She lifted up a clenched hand and targeted for his arm. Without a moment's hesitation, she prepared for contact in his arm, but Seifer, as quick as he was, grabbed her hand and pulled her to him.   
  
"You better watch where you aim that thing," he whispered in a warning in her ear. They stared at each other and for that one intense moment, they couldn't keep their eyes off of each other, until Quistis pushed him away with her other hand. It was too bad that it was her injured arm that she used, because she grabbed at her injury and moaned. The pain was even more gruesome than before.   
  
Seifer, quickly taking his mind off of the quarrel, went to her and grabbed her hand that was about to take out the bandage. Quistis looked up at him as she noticed him shaking his head.   
  
"You should know better than to touch a bandage, Trepe. You can't expose your wound to the open air like this, so I suggest you keep it on there for awhile, until you get that checked by a Doctor." He removed his hand from her and turned back to the general direction where he planned on going. In truth, he didn't know where he was going. He was just trying to buy some time until Trepe gives up and leaves him so he can be alone. It would be wonderful to be alone again and to see Fujin and Raijin.   
  
Quistis watched his back, shocked beyond disbelief of his knowledge about things that only she knew about. She underestimated him. Blinking, she caught up to him and looked at him in amazement.  
  
Seifer glanced at her and furrowed his eyebrows. "What do you want?!"  
  
The blond woman smiled. "You know, underneath all that arrogant and proud attitude, you are a very smart person, Almasy. I applaud you for passing your test. Now, you can go on as SeeD."  
  
A part of him broke in half. Seifer glared at her. "Stop mocking me, Trepe. If I had a weapon, I would easily kill you right now."  
  
Quistis lifted up her chin proudly. "Well, you don't, so you can just forget about that." She walked ahead of him, pushing away all the branches out of the way that hit Seifer's face.   
  
Seifer scowled, mumbling some curses under his breath. Why did he ever agree to bring her? He removed his eyes from her for a second, to examine the environment around him. Nothing but bushes surrounded them. It was like they were trudging through the jungle terrain, looking for treasures. He almost felt like Indiana Jones. That thought made him smirk. Now he's starting to feel like an idiot for thinking that. He looked back up ahead of him and realized that Quistis was gone. He looked around, behind him, beside him and even pass the green bushes that covered his eyes. There was no sign of her.  
  
"Trepe?" He was beginning to feel worried. Great, she goes off on her own with an injured arm, he thought.  
  
"Seifer!" he heard someone call. Seifer craned his neck further over some more bushes and paced faster forward. He suddenly found himself surrounded by cut out trees, some left to die on the earth. Seifer regarded Quistis staring at something in her hand. She turned and smiled. Seifer looked at her and into her hands, where she held Hyperion, the weapon he's longed for the longest time. It still had its silver colour and Seifer, was even glad that it was still in good shape. He grabbed the weapon from her and swung it around. It felt good to have his weapon in his hands again.  
  
"Great," he spoke, grinning. He had the weapon, now all he has to do is lose Trepe. He looked at her and nodded seriously. "Well, thanks for finding it for me. I think I better go now." He turned around.  
  
Quistis stepped forward and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Wait, Seifer..."  
  
Seifer took a deep breath, telling himself not to blow at her and turned around. "What is it?" He was getting impatient now.  
  
The blond woman frowned. "Why not give Balamb a second chance?"  
  
"I have given Balamb a second chance, Trepe, but Balamb hasn't. Good bye." He began to walk away.  
  
"Seifer, please don't go."  
  
Seifer paused.   
  
Quistis stepped forward, wanting to reach out and touch him, but she withdrew her hands quickly, before she could get a chance. She wanted to say more, but all she could say was.... "I guess we're even then."  
  
Seifer nodded his head. "I guess we are." He turned and grinned, saluting Quistis awkwardly and winked at her. "Well, I'm off. See you around Trepe!"   
  
Quistis watched him disappear in the darkness. She's never felt all alone in her life.   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
GoodGurl: Oooh, Squall and Rinoa fight yet again! What is up with that? Anyway, Quistis and Seifer... you guys were hoping for Queiferness, eh? Well, you have to be patient! So, that's it! I hope you enjoyed it!   
  
Will Seifer return and admit his true feelings towards Quistis?  
  
Will Quistis go after Seifer or go back to Balamb?  
  
Will Squall and Rinoa ever make up?  
  
And what's going on Zell and Selphie? Are they really going to go out for real this time?   
  
Find out soon!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 


	18. Lifeless

Note: HI everyone! Here's another chapter! You can probably guess that Zelphie has just ended. I know that most of your are itching of a Queifer than a Zelphie and I was hoping to make Zelphie very popular. Oh well, here's another Queifer then! There's something I wanna tell all of you too!   
  
  
  
  
Chapter 18 - Lifeless  
  
  
  
~ Seifer Almasy was indeed, a good man who just chose the wrong path to follow.  
  
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There is just no question what she was going to do next. She couldn't give up on him, knowing how far she had come through to make him realize how important life was. Taking another deep breath and making the most important decision in her life, she took a step and went after him.   
  
"Seifer, wait!" she called through the darkness. Branches whipped her face, but she didn't care as long as she could catch up to him. She was nearly running out of breath, when she caught sight of a blond walking casually in front of her. She winced, feeling the same pain once again and reached with her good hand towards the wound. The tall blond paused and turned around. He frowned at the sight of Quistis Trepe running to him, with a hand clasped tightly on her wound. She was so close to him, when she suddenly dropped on her knees and moaned in pain. Seifer quickly went to her aid and kneeled down beside her.  
  
"Trepe! What in Hyne's name are you trying to do? SUICIDE?" He removed her hand from her arm and examined the wound. Blood poured, sliding down her arm and to the ground. Little drops of red somehow reached his shirt and splattered all over him. Seifer helped her up, but the pain caused Quistis to cry out. The banana leaves were not enough to close down the infection and the gash was getting serious by the minute. Quistis couldn't even walk on her own two feet for the pain was unbearable.   
  
Quistis closed her eyes tight, feeling a little headache. It felt like electricity was frying her brain to crisp. She moaned, clutching at her wound, but Seifer could not allow her to do that as he grabbed at her right wrist.  
  
"Like I said before, Trepe! Don't touch the wound!" He pulled her to him and unexpectedly lifted her up in his arms and began to carry her back to the way he went before. His only decision now was to bring her all the way back to Balamb.   
  
Quistis wanted to struggle, but the warmth from Seifer's coat and the comfort he was giving her, made her feel relaxed. Her feelings were beginning to feel clear inside that indeed she was in love with the ex-knight. She closed her eyes at that thought, promising herself not to reveal her personal thoughts carelessly towards the unsuspecting blond and frowned, trying to erase all the positive thoughts on him.   
  
Seifer adjusted Quistis in his arms, without any worry about carrying her. She was light in his arms and there no problem at all. The thought of loving Quistis made him feel like he has put the past back between them. He knew now that the dream, or rather, the memory was put in his head for a reason. The only reason he could think of was, that he was in love with Quistis Trepe. He never knew, but it was there. He had just forgotten about it. He can't really tell whether Quistis felt the same way, but he did not intend on asking her that. It was just too risky.   
  
  
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She waited patiently outside, hoping that her blond friend would someday return. A day has passed and not a sign of the blond instructor that all of Balamb's students admired more than the Headmaster. Rinoa sighed and rested her chin on her upward palm, while she placed her elbows on her lap. She sat, slouched on the front steps of the Garden, not wishing to go back inside and argue with Squall. The thought of Squall made her feel sad inside. She knew Squall didn't mean what he said and she knew Squall was just worried about Quistis, but he should know better than to make assumptions on behalf of Seifer Almasy. She couldn't doubt Quistis' choice to go after him. Quistis was the type of person wanting to change someone, even though she was hurting inside as well. She was the type of person who did not hold grudges against anyone. Being an Instructor taught her to become civilized and Rinoa knew that.   
  
Rinoa took another deep breath and looked out the gates once more. Outside was deserted and not a living soul would be smart enough to step out into the open plains and be attacked by the monsters. The guard, she noticed, was sleeping the job. 'Typical old Mr. Wilson,' Rinoa thought, contemplating the old guard with white hair sitting inside the gate booth. She was startled to see a dark shadow coming towards them and Rinoa had more reasons to feel her heart pounding through her skin. She stood up and ran towards the exit. She tapped the window of the booth, startling Mr. Wilson from his sleep and pointed to the cross bar that blocked her way to the gate. Mr. Wilson stared at her and shook his head.  
  
"Dear, you know it's dangerous outside," the old man spoke, with a raspy, yet gentle tone.   
  
Rinoa nodded, as if she knew and sighed. "Mr. Wilson, I think you should open the gates. There are two people out there coming this way!" She pointed towards the gates and into the open planes. Mr. Wilson followed her finger and his eyes met a tall shadow walking in a slow motion towards the entrance. It looks as though the shadowy figure was carrying an injured person. Mr. Wilson gasped and glanced at Rinoa. He stretched out in front of him and pulled the lever that was directly in front of him. Rinoa waited in anticipation as the gate slid open. The dark shadow paused for a minute, as if studying Rinoa from far away and when he was sure it was her, continued to walk.   
  
Rinoa stayed at her spot and waited until the figure was just underneath a tall lamp that brightened the ground. To her shock and confusion, Rinoa suddenly recognized Seifer, carrying an unconscious Quistis in his arms. He casually walked over to her and looked at her in distress.  
  
"Seifer!" She glanced at Quistis and frowned. Rinoa looked at Seifer, waiting for an explanation and Seifer could not give her any, since the blond was too tired to even answer. She turned to Mr. Wilson. "Mr. Wilson, please open the bar so they can get through."  
  
Mr. Wilson nodded and pressed something on the console, making the gate open. Seifer slowly pushed the circling pars out of the way and walked pass Rinoa, making his way up the stairs and back inside the Garden, followed by the dark haired girl. There was no need for him to ask Rinoa where the infirmary was, because he knew. He remembered exactly where it was. Quistis moaned again, wincing some more at the pain.   
  
"Don't worry, Quistis, we're almost there," he whispered in her ear. Calmed by his words, Quistis closed her eyes and smiled.   
  
"Seifer, why are you doing this? You got your weapon.... I thought you wanted to see Raijin and Fujin?"  
  
"They can both wait," Seifer replied.   
  
"What happened, Seifer? What happened to Quisty?" Rinoa asked, when she caught up with them. She examined Quisitis' condition and frowned in concern.   
  
Seifer shook his head. "There's not time for questions, Rin. I need you to get Dr. Kadowaki right away."  
  
Rinoa nodded and left the two to wander in the halls alone to fetch Dr. Kadowaki. Seifer searched for a place to put Quistis down for a little rest. Quistis may be light weight, but Seifer was still in no condition to carry such a burden. There was no point in complaining about it. Seifer knew he had to be strong for Quistis' in order to keep himself from dropping her. The blond man spotted a nearby bench in the hallways and went to it, placing Quistis there. He kneeled down beside her, not really caring of his hands gripping tightly, yet tightly against her own. Quistis was starting to breath heavily.  
  
"Seifer...." Quistis spoke. More blood were pouring from her shoulder to the new polished floor. Seifer looked at her and shook his head. He placed a hand on her lips to shush her and frowned.   
  
"Stop it, Quistis. Whatever you're going to say, just save it for later."   
  
Quistis couldn't understand. Just moments ago, Seifer couldn't wait to leave her side, as if she was a bug that he couldn't get rid of. Now.... Now, Seifer was being.... Her thoughts were interrupted as another pain went through her shoulders. The blond woman cried out, forcing Seifer to look back at her again. She felt his hand grip around hers and Quistis was immediately calmed down. She closed her eyes and breathed a sigh of relief, knowing she was not alone.   
  
Footsteps were suddenly heard in the distance. Seifer looked ahead of him into the darkness to find two.... No, three figures walking towards them. He could recognize two women, one a fairly large and tall woman, and the other, petite and fragile. The other figure was walking awkwardly, as if afraid to approach him and Quistis. Seifer can easily recognize the leather coat and the fur collar brushing against his cheek. Dr. Kadowaki, followed by Rinoa and Squall appeared into the light of the hallway and ran to Quistis' aid. Upon seeing the elderly Doctor, Seifer stood up and picked up Quistis once again. Dr. Kadowaki watched as Seifer approached them, carrying Quistis strongly in his arms. The elderly woman nodded her head, turned around, then led the way to the infirmary. Rinoa, taking one last glance towards them, followed Dr. Kadowaki, as Squall paused and stared at them.  
  
His eyes met Seifer's for a second, the resentment never leaving his young face. Seifer could see Squall clenching his gloved fists and the only thing the blond can ever do was stare at him back.  
  
"What happened, Almasy? What did you do to her? Did you hurt her?!" Squall stared at Quistis in concern, her face, so ghostly pale and sickly.   
  
Seifer could only glare at Squall. Without another word, the blond walked pass the brunette and followed the Doctor and Rinoa into the infirmary, leaving Squall scowling behind him.   
  
  
*************  
  
He stared into the window, inside where the highly respected Instructor laid on the bed. Her face were still as pale as before, but her colour was almost coming back. Squall didn't want to believe that Seifer had rescued Quistis' life. He couldn't accept it. He can prove Seifer kidnapped Quistis, hurt her and pretended he rescued her so he could get the credit. That was always him. Whenever he needed to, he would do something drastic to get what he wants.   
  
"Look at him, Squall," he heard Rinoa speak. Squall turned and looked at Rinoa, who was watching someone from out the window, just close to the entrance door of the infirmary. The window that she was staring at overlooked the Serpent Ocean, the bluest ocean in the world and the most beautiful. Squall went to her side and stared out the window as well and was surprised to see Seifer Almasy watching the sunset. He watched him carefully, examining the way he looked. Seifer Almasy seemed calm as the wind blew the strand of blond hair across his face. Baggy eyes and sagging shoulders show his fatigued form and Squall could tell the blond hadn't been sleeping perfectly lately. He hadn't notice Seifer standing there before. He thought he left already after putting Quistis on the bed.   
  
Rinoa glanced at him and frowned in sadness. "He's been waiting there for almost an hour since Quistis was put in the room."   
  
Squall stared back at her, his eyebrows furrowed in confusion. He stared back at the blond. In many years he's known Seifer, he's never seen the blond act this way. He's never seen Seifer act so.... Worried for someone. He watched him again. Seifer had his back facing the window completely. He could see the blond reaching inside his trench coat to take out his Hyperion. Seifer stared at it and pointed it towards the ocean. Squall couldn't tell what exactly he was doing, since his back was facing them.   
  
"He really cares for her, Squall," came Rinoa's voice.  
  
Squall could only close his mouth.   
  
"You may think that Seifer is a mean guy, but Squall, he's really soft in the inside. I know him, Squall. I did meet him before you and I did love him before you, but just remember, Squall, I love you more now. I've moved on and so has he. You should be happy for Quistis to have someone like him."  
  
Rinoa's words began to surround him with meaning, with knowledge. They made sense to him now. At that one moment, Squall had an overwhelming feeling of knowing that Seifer Almasy was indeed, a good man who just chose the wrong path to follow. Of course, for Squall, admitting that he was wrong, was out of the question. He simply turned to Rinoa and nodded calmly. Then, for one brief moment, as he turned to look at Seifer, him and the blond were staring in each other in the face. Squall hadn't realized that Seifer was looking at them, his green eyes piercing Squall's skin.   
  
Seifer was the first one to pull away from the intense gaze. He put his weapon back in its sheath inside his coat and walked away. Squall watched him go, as he turned the corner and disappear from his sight.   
  
The brunette heard the door slide open as Dr. Kadowaki stepped inside the waiting room.   
  
"How is she, Dr. Kadowaki?" Rinoa asked.  
  
The elderly woman, with the white lab coat nodded and smiled at the same time, as Rinoa took a deep breath in relief. "She's doing fine now."  
  
"Thank you," Squall spoke.  
  
Dr. Kadowaki shook her head. "You should thank Seifer for bringing her in just in time. She lost a whole lot of blood and if Seifer hadn't brought her in earlier, then she could have died."  
  
Squall and Rinoa gasped.   
  
The elderly woman looked around. "Where is Seifer, by the way? Quistis was actually mumbling his name."  
  
Silence.  
  
Rinoa glanced at Squall, who stepped up, to her surprise and said, "I'll go get him."  
  
Dr. Kadowaki nodded. Rinoa smiled, tapping him slightly on the shoulder for thank you and watched as Squall turned to leave the waiting room.  
  
  
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"Seifer," Squall called.  
  
The blond turned, his face full of extreme anger. Just when he was about to leave, his worst enemy comes crawling back to him. Maybe he's here to blame him for something that he didn't really do. Squall was always bad at judging people. He couldn't understand why he became the Commander. "What do you want, Squall?! I said I would leave once I got better. And there's no point for you to blow your shit at me, because I didn't do anything to hurt her. She hurt herself."  
  
"Shut up, Almasy!" Squall growled. He took a deep breath, before finally speaking again. "As much as I love to kick your ass right now, I only came here to tell you that Quistis asked for you."  
  
Seifer was surprised, even more so, speechless for that matter.   
  
"So, if you want to see her, you can. I won't hold you back." For that, Squall turned and left, feeling sort of proud for that. Sometimes, his temper would drive him crazy and if it had, Seifer would be down on the ground right now, bleeding.   
  
Seifer watched him go. In all his life, he's never felt so important. Quistis had asked for him and, as much as he hated to admit it, Squall was kind enough to tell him.   
  
  
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He watched her form as he sat down on the chair beside the bed. In his entire life, he has never noticed Quistis' face this sad. She had a frown on her face and even though she was asleep, Squall could tell the unhappiness in her heart.   
  
Quistis stirred and opened her eyes, wishing to see the only person she wished to see and felt disappointed when she finally turned to look at the least person she expected to see.   
  
"Hey, Quistis," Squall spoke, curling a strand of blond hair behind her ear. Quistis was his sister, his best friend and if anyone dared hurt her in any way, he would hurt that person back with bones broken in every parts of their body. "How are you feeling?"  
  
The blond didn't feel like answering, but she answered anyway for his sake. After all, Quistis felt her little 'brother' needed to know. "I'm tired, but I'll be fine," she retorted, forcing a smile on her face. She looked around, hoping to see a blond watching through the window of the waiting room and giving her his most famous smirk.  
  
"If you're looking for him, he's not here. He left already."  
  
Quistis looked at Squall. "What?"  
  
"You're looking for Seifer, right?"  
  
She blushed. How did he know? Shyly, she nodded. She might as well accept it, there was no point in hiding her feelings anymore.   
  
"He already, left Quistis. I told him you called and I waited for almost twenty minutes, but he never came. I'm sorry." Squall looked down on the ground, ashamed for revealing the most hurtful truth.  
  
Quistis nodded, forced another smile on her face and sighed. Seifer had made his decision. He would never break out of a promise. That was typical of him to keep a promise, no matter how much it hurt to see him go. "Oh," was all she could say. Tears threatened to fall on her face, but Quistis was brave enough to hold them back so Squall will not be able to see how 'weak' Quistis was.  
  
Squall could recognize the disappointment in her voice. All he could do was sit there and stare down on the ground.  
  
Seifer was gone for good and Quistis had a feeling he will never come back. For once in her life, the blond young woman felt her heart break. Before she could understand her feelings for him, he left her heart forever.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
GoodGurl: Awww.... Poor Quisty! I felt so bad for her! sniff! Sorry for the long wait... I was vacationing at Main Island and I had a lot of fun. Anyway, thanks for the reviews, here is the next chapter! ENJOY! 


	19. Words we could not say

Note: Hi, sorry for the long wait. I know most of you are dying to know what happened to Seifer and what Quistis thought when he left. Sad? Well, that won't be Quistis now, would it? Angry... well, probably, but she is Quistis and she forgives and forgets... right? Hm.... Who knows, you'll have to find out next!  
  
  
Chapter 19 - Words We Could Not Say   
  
  
  
The curves and lines seemed to be the most interesting notion in her life as she finished writing the last comment on a certain student's paper. In a careful motion, she curled her letters, adding tails at the end of the sentence and made the dot on the I's more fancy. Once she was finished, she leaned back on her chair and examined her work. Even with all the fancy work on her words and sentences, as she looked at it more closely, it was just plain writing. It was nothing interesting at all. That's what her life was. She worked hard for many years, even adding the feelings of love for the one man who never showed up to see if she was all right and nothing interesting came out of it. She still felt plain.   
  
Quistis picked up her novel that she had began to read while being bored as she rested on the bed of the infirmary and opened to the fifth chapter- page 89. Thoughts swirled in her head as she attempted to read the first sentence. She couldn't concentrate.   
  
People view her as someone perfect; a Goddess, to what the Trepies call her and worshipped her, followed her everywhere she went. However, that's not what Quistis Trepe had in mind. Her dedication and her hard work was her only wish that people would see, instead of what she looked like. In the most part, people do admire her for her abilities, but in the male point of view, they see her as a Sex symbol.   
  
She slammed the book closed. 'Why do people see me this way?!' she thought, throwing the paper back covered book behind her, where it landed perfectly on the bed. It has been a week already, just a week after leaving the bed and eating infirmary food, which, in Quistis' view, were quite good. She never expected people to visit her and, in truth, she liked it, but it was just too much of a burden to her. The faculty and students, mostly the male Trepies, showered her with gifts that she didn't need. Some were useless, like a picture, meant to be put in the frame that went with the nicely wrapped box.   
  
A few days of total hell. Personally, she liked the attention of everyone, but it was getting boring now. Ever since her 'encounter' with Seifer, she has been acting different lately, or so what people said about her. The fact was, she acted the same. People just began to realize that she had locked herself in isolation and she HAS been trapped in that sorrow for a very long time.   
  
Quistis leaned back on her chair and glanced back at her neat handwriting. Looking back at the past, she doesn't remember anyone loving her, except for Matron, but other than that, she was never loved, like a man should love a woman, or the love of a family member. When she was young, she knew she treated Squall and the others as her siblings, but now... they were just her friends.   
  
A knock was heard, interrupting her thoughts. Quistis took a long deep breath and stood up. She was not surprised that the person standing behind the door was Rinoa and Selphie indeed. They would go over the hills to cheer her up and Quistis appreciated the effort, but no matter how hard they tried, it did not work.   
  
Yes- they knew. They knew of her feelings for Seifer. Quistis tried so hard to forget him, tried to forget the anger she had towards him, because she knew he had a reason to leave. However, even with her attempts, Rinoa would not let her forget. The dark haired girl would drop some hints about him, so maybe- just maybe, Quistis might go and look for the ex- knight.   
  
"Hey, Quisty!" Rinoa greeted, waving her hand like a little child, excited to go to a carnival.  
  
Quistis forced a smile on her face, lifting up her hand tiredly to greet the two. "Hi, Rin. Hi, Selph. What is it?" She knew what they were planning, but she had to make sure first.  
  
"Quisty, Zell, me, Rinoa and Squall are planning to go to a club in Deling tonight. We were wondering if you'd like to come." Selphie stared at her and smiled.  
  
'Here we go,' she thought.   
  
"Oh and Irvine's coming so there's no reason for you to dance alone." Rinoa winked at her and giggled.  
  
Quistis rolled her eyes, in her mind, actually. She could never hurt her friends with an attitude that was not on Quistis' list. Great, she was sounding like Seifer. She shook the thoughts on Seifer away and shrugged. "I don't know. I have a few more tests to mark. How about next time?"  
  
Selphie shook her head. "No can do. We're booked for tonight and today is Tuesday."  
  
Quistis looked at her. "What about Tuesday?"  
  
Rinoa stepped forward and smiled. "Well, Tuesdays are cheap nights for all SeeDs, remember? We get drinks and food for free."  
  
Selphie jumped in from behind Rinoa and beside her. "Yeah! And Zell should never miss out on the free hot dogs there." She giggled.   
  
Quistis couldn't help but smile. She never thought Zell and Selphie would become an item. At first, she thought the two energetic duo were not that cute together, but as she thought about it more closely, they look actually sweet. She would see them holding hands and whispering sweet nothings in their ears, like two love-sick birds. That thought almost made her shiver. Love was definitely blooming in the air, but not for Quistis Trepe.  
  
"Pleeeeeeeeeeeeeeease, Quisty? We want you to be there. The whole gang's going to be there and it's not going to be the same without you!" Selphie pleaded.  
  
'Not going to be the same?' she thought. Finally giving up, Quistis noddd and was startled as Selphie and Rinoa jumped at her and gave her a tight squeeze, almost knocking the wind out of her. The warmth surrounded by her friends, made her feel good inside and Quistis has never felt so safe. Maybe this club will get her mind off of Seifer.  
  
  
  
**  
  
  
  
  
"Hit me some more," he spoke in a low and irritated tone. 'A week has passed by,' he thought. That same song repeated in his head for the millionth time. He glanced at the drink in front of him. Swirling colours of gold surrounded his thoughts. Seifer grabbed the small glass and moved it around on the table. The golden colours swirled around, making a funnel at the bottom of the glass. He could see a man drowning in it.   
  
"I think you should get going now, handsome," a feminine voice spoke. She spoke French or some other language, he wasn't sure, but whatever it was, it felt soothing. He's been called 'handsome' many times in the same bar. Women approached him and offered to give him some 'services' for money.   
  
"Damn hookers," he mumbled. He downed the content in the glass quickly and scrunched up his nose at the taste of alcohol slowly working its way up his brain.   
  
The woman bartender did not seem to hear what he had said. She grabbed the glass from Seifer's hand and washed it clean with the cloth that usually hung on her left shoulder. While doing so, she glanced at the blond man, who was on the verge of collapse. "Let me guess," she began, in a slow, whispered voice. "The reason why you're wasting your life away is because of some woman. You love this woman and you were afraid to tell her how you feel, so you're here to drain all your sorrows away, am I right?"  
  
Seifer didn't answer. He was tired of people always second guessing the obvious.  
  
"I'll take that as a 'yes,'" she said, putting away the glass behind the counter.   
  
"Hey, I'm not done drinking," Seifer spoke, stretching his arms towards her. "Give me back the glass." He spoke in an almost command tone, but at that point, he was too tired to bring out her full command tone.  
  
The woman shook her head. "You're not drinking, honey. I think you should tell this woman. If you waste your ass sitting here in the bar and doing nothing about it, you're going to regret it for the rest of your life."  
  
"What the hell do you know about me?"  
  
"Well, I don't," she replied. "I don't know you at all, but I've seen men like you before. Men like you are cowards, hiding behind their alcohol to wash away all the problems, but you know, sweet cakes?" She leaned towards him and gave him one of the most serious looks he's ever seen. "Your problems are never going away once you solve it."   
  
Seifer glared back at her and sighed. "She hates my guts, that's all! What's the point of ever telling her? She's just a cow in a barn! Now, give me my damn drink!"  
  
The woman didn't say anything. She turned and walked away.   
  
Seifer furrowed his eyebrows. Giving up, he leaned back on his chair, almost forgetting there was no back side to the stool and stood up. "Fine. I guess there's no point in staying here either." He stormed off, with smoke coming out of his head. That's how it was when his anger got to him.   
  
  
**  
  
  
  
She was practically dragged inside the crowded club by none other than Irvine Kinneas, who promised to dance with her. They all entered together, after a short dispute from the tall guard, who thought Rinoa and Selphie were under the age of nineteen. Of course, none of them were close to nineteen, except Quistis, but the tall man could only see the 'children' in the two other short teens. Zell was even more supportive after Selphie was hurt emotionally about the man's comments on her. Thank God he didn't lose his temper. Quistis knew Zell had a temper that could blow up Mount Trabia.   
  
Soon, they were inside the packed building. Tuesday was free night all right and they could see people from, who knows where, maybe even all the way from Esthar or from Trabia on the dance floors. Colourful lights flickered around the dark halls of the large bar just to their right when they entered and to where the lights were brighter- the dance floor. Music filled the room, vibrating underneath their feet and they can feel the tapping of the soft wood floors from high heeled shoes of women around them. They took a moment to admire the glittering lights and the powerful music.   
  
Irvine spotted two women walking pass them. They winked once and at that point, Irvine appeared in mere seconds from Quistis' side. Quistis watched him follow the two girls like a puppy dog on to the dance floor.   
  
"Irvine!" Rinoa squeeled, angry for leaving them, let alone, Quistis.  
  
Quistis glanced at Rinoa and shook her head, chuckling. "It's all right, Rin. He promised a dance and I know Irvine doesn't back out of a dance with a woman. I can wait anyway. We still have three hours to spare."  
  
"Great! Let's go get hot dogs, Selph!" Zell yelled from underneath the noise. He grabbed Selphie's hand, pushing his way eagerly from behind Quistis and Rinoa and dashed to the counter where they serves free hot dogs, just as Selphie promised.   
  
"Hey, Zelly! Slow down!" Selphie yelled through the noise.  
  
Quistis watched them and almost giggled as Zell and Selphie ended up lining up at the end of a very long line from the counter to the other side of the dance floor. She could almost hear Zell curse at the top of his lungs. Selphie had to massage his shoulders to calm him down. Quistis envied their love. It was something out of the ordinary, where not many people would expect them to get together. Actually, many people thought Selphie would end up with Irvine, but there were people, who knew of the SeeDs who saved the world, that Selphie and Zell were meant to be together.   
  
"Hey, Quisty?" The blond woman turned around. She had forgotten that Rinoa and Squall were still standing there. Rinoa placed a hand on her shoulder and frowned. "Do you want to dance with Squall? It's fine with me if you like."  
  
Quistis looked at her. Rinoa knew... she knew, yet she wasn't mad. Quistis glanced at Squall, who was surprised at Rinoa's request and smiled, shaking her head. As much as she loved to dance with Squall, she didn't feel right. Squall and Rinoa deserved each other. For some reason, for her, the two names went well together, not Quistis and Squall. Yes, she had feelings for him, but ever since Seifer came..... she shook her head.   
  
"No, it's all right Rin. How about you two dance? I'm going to get a drink anyway." She glanced at Squall and nodded.   
  
Rinoa looked at her strangely. "Are you sure? I don't want to leave you alone."  
  
Quistis enjoyed the company of Rinoa. She asked many questions and was always worried about her. That's she liked about the dark haired girl. She was kind, yet sometimes annoying at times. She nodded. "Yeah, I'm sure."  
  
Rinoa smiled, grabbed Squall's hand and dragged him to the dance floor, joining in with Irvine and the two girls grinding against him. Quistis chuckled. Irvine loved women.   
  
She looked around. The truth was, she needed some time alone. She needed some place to think. The bar seemed decent, but she needed a quiet place, where she can think clearer and where she can't smell the alcohol and the cigarettes fuming around the place. Quistis spotted a door at the very back of the bar. When she was sure no one was watching, she quickly slipped pass the bar hostess and into the night air. She has never been out lately and this was her only chance. She forced a smile on her face, but sooner faded when she remembered what she came here for.   
  
Tears finally escaped her eyes. She suddenly felt alone. "Why am I here?" she asked herself out loud. She wrapped her arms around herself and leaned against the cold wall of the alley way. "Who am I? I don't feel like I know myself anymore. People see me as someone beautiful. How can I be beautiful when I feel ugly inside? Why do they admire me? They shouldn't do that! THEY SHOULDN'T!" She slammed her fist on the wall, then slid down until her bottom almost met the ground and covered her face with her gloved hands. For the first time in her life, Quistis Trepe cried.  
  
"Why shouldn't they admire you?" a deep voice echoed in her ears. Quistis jerked her head up and was on her toes quickly. A shadow lurked in the darkness to her right, a shadow of a very familiar figure. She hastily wiped the tears away and replaced her sullen face into a serious one. The shadow moved closer underneath the shining light, revealing the figure's face. Quistis gasped at the sight of Seifer Almasy.  
  
"Seifer...." She whispered. "What are you doing here?"  
  
Seifer moved closer, so he could see her better in the dark. "I should be asking you the same thing. Why would you say those things, Trepe?" He could see the sorrow in her eyes as he stared at them. "Are you saying you're giving up already? That's not the Quistis I know."  
  
Quistis turned away, not wanting to meet his gaze. She clenched her fists and closed her eyes. "You don't know me!" she said, loudly. She turned and began to walk back inside the club, but Seifer was much faster. He grabbed her arm and forced her to turn around so he could look at her.   
  
"Quistis, what is going on here? Are you the Quistis who told me never to give up on life?"   
  
"That Quistis is DEAD!" she countered. "Let go of my arm right now, Almasy!" She twisted her arm, hoping for him to lose his grip, but Seifer's grip was strong. He grasped on tighter and pulled her to him.   
  
"Quistis, people should see you as beautiful. You're telling yourself that life isn't worth living. A person told me to always live your life to the fullest and that same person promised me that I would see her again and that person is right here standing in front of me."   
  
Quistis stopped struggling and looked into his eyes. "Then, why did you leave?"  
  
Seifer let go of her arm and stared at her in surprise. How did his speech change from Quistis to him? He backed away and frowned. "You know what? I don't know I even bothered to help you with your problem, when all you're doing is changing the subject!" It was his turn to walk away.  
  
"I just want to know, Seifer!" Quistis yelled after him. "I just want to know! There are still people who care about you! Matron needs you."  
  
Seifer paused. He closed his eyes. He was afraid she was going to say that. Turning around slowly, Seifer took a few deep breaths and stared at her form. She was walking towards him slowly- ever so slowly. It was something coming out from a movie, where two people run towards each other in a slow motion and once they reached each other, they would frolick in the fields and sing songs.   
  
"That's not the reason why I left...." He didn't know how to start. The voice of the bar hostess spoke back in his head.   
  
'If you waste your ass sitting here in the bar and doing nothing about it, you're going to regret it for the rest of your life.'  
  
She was right, he thought.  
  
"It was me," he continued. He walked closer. "I was afraid.... I was afraid that if I stayed any longer, I would start falling in love with you."  
  
Quistis almost chocked. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. "What?" The tone of the question seemed small and vulnerable. That's where she was now. She was vulnerable. She didn't know what to say.   
  
Seifer stepped closer, wanting to hold her. For a long time, he wished to hold her in his arms. "You heard me."  
  
She backed away from him. "Wait... you don't know what you're saying."  
  
The blond man nodded. "Of course I do." His voice was different, close to frightening Quistis. Is he possessed? What is wrong with him? Why would a man like him fall in love with someone like her?   
  
"No, you don't," she spoke. She looked down on the ground and turned around. She glanced over her shoulder and shook her head. "You don't love me, Seifer. I... I shouldn't be loved." For that, she walked away, leaving Seifer confused as he stood in the dark.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
GoodGurl: What? Is Quistis crazy? What is wrong with her? Well, to give it away, she's obviously depressed and finally begins to realize... she's not worth it? What is going on here? Hint: read back to Chapter 18 for a clue. I may tell you next chapter. Well, see ya! Please r/r! Thanx! ;) 


	20. Just Loving You

Note: I've decided to put off Medieval for a while and finish 'Beating Hearts' first before I continued that story. Anyway, why did Quistis run away? This chapter reveals her thoughts and feelings on her life being an Instructor and her life on being a woman in love.  
  
  
  
Chapter 20 - Just Loving You   
  
  
~ "Love is something unexpected; you never know when it will come to you. It's a jump start to a whole new life." (Squall)  
  
__________________________________________________________________  
  
  
So many thoughts ran through her mind. Her, the Instructor who teaches her students the basics of fighting various types of weapons and the one who was known to be the most 'beautiful' woman on earth. Her, with a fan club, who follow her around like dogs on a leash. Her, known to be the 'Ice Queen' of Garden, who follows orders given by the Headmaster. For seven years, it was the only life she has ever known. She took part in many things and when last year's Sorceress war occurred, she became one of the heroes who brought down Ultimaecia and her reign for power. She was all that.  
  
Now.... She's just a worthless love-sick fool, her heart beating for the one man that have changed her from being who she was. Was....? She may never go back to who she was before.   
  
The floor shook from the beat of the loud music echoing from the two large stereos at the front of the stage by the singer. Quistis ignored everything around her, even her name being called by the one man whom she wished she never met. Why did this have to happen to her?   
  
"Quistis!" Seifer called. She ignored his calls, never turning nor glancing behind her to see him running after her. He pushed his way through the crowd. They were both too ignorant of the people around them; she, intent on running away from him; he, intent on running after her. They were too eager to notice they had stepped up into the dance floor, amongst the couples. Quistis ran faster, avoiding any eye contact with anyone who gave her curious stares. She was about to reach the end of the dance floor, when a hand grabbed her arm gently and roughly turned her around. Quistis struggled, forcing herself not to lose her cool so they would not attract any attention from the people around them. Calmly, she let Seifer pull her with him. She never wanted this. Not ever. Why?  
  
"Seifer, let me go!" she yelled, just slightly. The noise drowned out her voice. The music itself was then replaced by a slow song. Quistis tried to twist her arm away from him, but it was to no avail. Seifer pulled her against him, leading her into a slow trot, following the beat of the slow music.   
  
"For God's sakes, Quistis! Will you listen to me!?" The blond man was losing his temper. Why did this woman have to be so stubborn?  
  
She tried to struggle again, but it was still no use. His tone of voice was pulling her back to him. While waiting for him to continue, Quistis contemplated everything that is going on with her life. Her wish was to finish being an Instructor and be promoted to an even higher level. She did not want to fall in love. She never asked anyone to love her back. A tear came falling unexpectedly from her left eye and fell slowly down the path to her neck and on the floor, where it made small little puddles that quickly faded away. She closed her eyes, not wanting to meet his.  
  
"Quistis, please look at me." He placed a hand underneath her chin and lifted her head up towards him. When he saw another tear streaking down her face, he quickly caught it with his thumb and brushed it away. He realized that Quistis was slowly melting. "You have no idea how scared I was with this feeling that I have for you. I thought maybe I could forget this feeling by leaving Garden, but everyday I see your face. It's been hard for me to forget, but I just couldn't."  
  
"Why me, Seifer? Why me of all people? You could have any other woman, yet you choose me? Why?" Quistis was afraid to hear the answer.  
  
Seifer shrugged. "It's always been you, Quistis," he whispered. He tried to lean closer so she could lean her head against his shoulder.  
  
"No!" Quistis shouted. Seifer felt himself being pushed away- hard. The blond man found himself staring at her from far away and in disbelief.   
  
Quistis put her arms down that was used to push him away and shook her head once again. She looked down on her shoes, afraid to see his hurt expression. She can't do this. She can't. Why? Why her? The answer he gave her was not enough. It was still not enough. She still doesn't understand. "I can't Seifer... I'm sorry." Once again for the second time, Quistis turned and walked away. More tears fell from her eyes and she wiped it angrily before it streaked down her face. She pushed her way through the crowd, looking over her shoulder once and awhile, hoping that Seifer did not follow her. She pushed some more people out of her way and made it back to where Rinoa and Squall said they were going to be waiting for her at one of the tables.   
  
At the sight of a blond woman with a red face coming towards them, Rinoa and Squall suddenly stood up. The dark haired girl watched her in worry.   
  
"Quisty? What's the matter?" She lifted up her arms up, hoping that Quistis would come running in her arms and cry on her shoulder, but Quistis just shook her head and walked pass her.  
  
"I'm sorry, Rin. I can't stay here any longer. If you need me, I'll be at the Deling City Hotel." With that said, Quistis walked out of the club.  
  
Rinoa glanced at Squall and the two just stared at each other. Squall looked over Rinoa's shoulder and wondered what it was Quistis was running from and found an upset blond standing on the dance floor all alone, with his hands in his trench coat front pockets. He eyed the man for a moment, when the man himself looked back at him.   
  
Seifer placed a frown on his face, erasing the hurt on his handsome features and walked away, never to be seen again.  
  
  
  
  
She smothered her face on the pillow, hopelessly trying not to cry. It was because of him that she was crying. It was because of him that she felt this way. Why did she have to go and rescue him from Death? He wanted to die in the first place, then why didn't she let him die if he wanted to?  
  
'You are a very generous person' a voice spoke in her head.  
  
Quistis snorted, taking a deep breath from the sadness in her heart. She turned around on her back so she was facing the ceiling and looked up into the white walls of the roof that could only be seen from the inside. Shadows from her own figure laying on the bed danced and mocked her as if saying, 'You're scared! You scaredy-cat! You're too scared to admit your feelings for him!' She shook her head. Even though she did not believe it, it was true. She was afraid.   
  
'Maybe a few drinks wouldn't be that bad to take my mind off of things,' she thought. Making her decision, the blond woman sat up from bed and prepared her way downstairs to where the bar was.  
  
  
  
  
He searched around the room. He knew where she would be. The stairs creaked at every step he took. It was time to fix these stairs, he contemplated in his head. Brushing a strand of brown hair from his eyes, Squall took one last step and found himself back at the bar that Rinoa remembered where her mother played the piano. There was indeed a piano on the left side of the room, at the small stage consisting of only one step. There was a woman, similarly dressed to what Julia was wearing when Selphie, himself and Zell were taken back to the past by Ellone. The only difference was her hair colour, which was a slightly shade of auburn. There was a violinist and a flute player right by the piano, both similarly dressed women with similar hair colour.  
  
Squall scanned the area for a certain blond woman. He knew Quistis never drank that much, but when it came to 'drowning her sorrows,' she would most definitely would be at a bar. Waiters went to and fro from the bar to the tables where people sat. He looked pass an old couple sitting near the bar and to the bar counter itself, where an obvious blond colour seemed to glitter like a light to his path. He could easily recognize the chain whip attached to the left side of the belt.   
  
"Do you mind if I join you?" Squall asked, softly. Quistis did not look up, as if expecting Squall to be here.   
  
She shrugged. "Do whatever you want, Squall."   
  
Squall sat down beside her and clasped his hands in front of him, placing them calmly on the counter table. He glanced at her. He could not recognize Quistis at her disheveled hair, her baggy eyes and her tired, slouching form. She took a sip of her favourite drink and downed it quickly. She wiped the remaining content that slithered at her face with her arm and put the glass back down.  
  
"You know, Squall, this is probably the stupidest thing I've ever done in my life," Quistis spoke.  
  
"Your drinking?" Squall asked, although he knew what the answer was.  
  
Quistis shook her head. "No. I ran away. I ran away from the one person who actually truly cares about me."  
  
"He's not the only person who truly cares about you. What about Matron and all of us?" He was not helping at all, but he does care for Quistis and so does everyone else.  
  
"I know you care for me, but not in the way that I wish for." She took a deep breath, placed her elbows on the counter and looked at him. "For a long time, I've been hiding behind my books and my students. Whenever I loved someone, I thought of it as just a crush. I never expected for anyone to love me back, because I was used to it. I was used to the fact that I had the feeling so I didn't have to worry about anyone loving me at all." She paused. "I mean, I even loved you, Squall."  
  
Squall looked down in shame. "I'm sorry for what I said, Quistis. I didn't mean that." He remembered being at the back of the Garden and seeing the night outside. He remembered Quistis telling him how she felt and all he said to her was, 'Talk to the wall.' He never cared about it, until now.  
  
Quistis smiled. "Don't worry about that. There's no need to be sorry about it. I'm over it."  
  
"Quistis... I think you're just scared. Believe me, I've been there. I've been scared all my life to love anyone, because maybe, just maybe they won't love me back. When I met Rinoa, it was like the whole world turned around and changed into something different. At first, I was scared- very scared, but Rinoa made me feel good inside. She made me feel comfortable in what I feel." He looked up into her eyes. "Love is something unexpected; you never know when it will come to you. It's a jump start to a whole new life."  
  
Quistis thought about it, absorbing the knowledge that Squall has never revealed in the years she has ever known him. Has she been afraid all this time to admit it? Maybe it was just fear that forced her to push Seifer away.   
  
Squall felt quite awkward when he said that. He cleared his throat and nervously rubbed the back of his neck. "So uh... I think I better go. Rinoa's waiting for me at our room."  
  
Quistis nodded. "Thanks for the advice, Squall." She and Squall exchanged good byes with short waves, before Squall made his way back upstairs to the hotel. Quistis sighed and rested her head on her upward palm. The words from Squall's mouth somewhat surprised her, but it did not surprise her that Squall, the lonely little boy she remembered him to be, was right.  
  
  
  
  
Squall took a deep breath. It was overwhelming to express his feelings like that, but it was quite good that he did. He sniffed and took another step up the stairs.   
  
"Here is your key for room 4, sir." Squall looked up from his thoughts and found Seifer taking the room key dangling from the desk clerk's hand. The blond thanked her silently and as he turned, he paused at the sight of the Commander standing there.   
  
They stared at each other, both not really sure what to say.  
  
Squall cleared his throat and nodded. "Seifer," he spoke.  
  
Seifer nodded slightly. "Squall." He took a deep breath, gave him one last look and turned towards the direction of the upstairs to where all the rooms were.  
  
"Seifer, wait a minute," Squall called. He took a step forward, watched as Seifer paused from the stairs and turned around to look at the younger man.  
  
Annoyed, Seifer pursed his lips together, not wanting to attract any attention from the desk clerk watching their every move and forced a slight smile on his face. "What is it, Squall?"   
  
Squall sighed. "I think you should go check out the drinks at the bar downstairs," he said, glancing quickly at the stairs.  
  
Seifer looked at him curiously. "What the hell are you talking about, Puberty boy?"  
  
"There's a new drink downstairs. I tried it myself and it's very...." Squall searched through his brain to find the right words. What's another word for blond? "It's very... Trepeffic..." He slapped himself mentally on the head for saying that. Trepiffic? What the hell? He glanced at the desk clerk, who stared at him like he was an idiot. He grinned. "That came out of my mouth wrong," he said, looking at the woman behind the desk.  
  
It took a few moments for him to figure out what the younger man was trying to say. He squinted his eyes for a moment, trying to search Squall's face and when he had gotten the idea, Seifer almost fell off his feet. "OH! Is it?"  
  
Squall nodded. "Yeah, it is."  
  
The desk clerk furrowed her eyebrows in confusion. Both men glanced at her.  
  
"It's very Trepiffic," Seifer said, grinning.  
  
The dark haired woman gazed up at him in confusion. She shook her head and turned away, taking her eyes off of them and to the computer in front of her. She pretended she didn't know who they were.  
  
Seifer looked back at Squall and cleared his throat. "Uh... thanks, Squall." He stuffed his keys inside his left pant pocket, walked pass Squall and down the stairs he went. Squall watched him go the last time and turned to the desk clerk, who was looking back at him, still wondering what was going on. He grinned and pointed towards Seifer with his thumb.  
  
"He's an alcoholic," he explained, walking up the stairs.  
  
  
*****************  
  
He saw her sitting on the far corner of the bar. She was staring at the glass, as if it was the most important thing in her life. He could tell that the drink itself was her only best friend. More people came in. It was still too early to be getting to bed anyway, so maybe he can stick around for awhile. Seifer continued to watch the blond woman. A jazzy song was playing in the background, sung by a woman dressed in the fifties. Her hair was short and curled, just like women at that year and wore a white satin dress with gloves that stretched out up to her elbows. Her dress was fairly short, reaching her knees and every time she moved, it would move with her. If Seifer was not too busy watching the blond woman from a distance, he would fall head over heels towards the singer on the stage.   
  
The singer, who introduced herself as 'Orange Satin,' moved closer towards the microphone stand and opened her mouth to speak. "This song is dedicated to all the couples tonight. May you have an everlasting love." She grabbed the microphone stand with one hand and moved the microphone closer to her lips. The piano began to play and when the pianist finished her introduction, Orange Satin began to sing a fairly lively tune.   
  
  
Seifer glanced back at the lonely woman sitting by the bar. She didn't seem to see him standing there, just staring. Quistis placed a very solemn look on her face. "Quistis, why do you torture yourself?" he spoke out loud.  
  
Quistis watched the woman sing. Orange Satin swayed her hips at the slow beat before continuing song. The words had meaning to it.   
  
As long as I'm here and on this earth  
My whole life is only worth  
The moment that I spend, ooo, just loving you  
  
She sighed. Her voice was like an angel and she wished sometimes that the song she sang would come true to her. If only she stayed with him, maybe she wouldn't feel this way. She noticed couples moving to the dance floor. They began to dance, making Quistis feel jealous of their intimacy. One couple had their arms wrapped around each other and gave each other kisses on the lips once and awhile. The piano played a solo part and then Orange Satin sang again.  
  
Yes, indeed, it's you, it's you that keeps me strong  
When times are bad and things go wrong  
And I wanna spend from now on, yeah yeah, just loving you.  
  
Quistis turned away from the dancers and pivoted around to face the bar again. She glanced around her and the moment she laid eyes on a very familiar stranger, her heart stopped for a moment. Seifer stood there, watching her and their eyes met in an intense gaze. He just stared at her with a serious expression. Quistis turned away and sip on her half drunk tequila. It was hard to believe that Quistis was still drinking the same tequila the moment she walked in the room.  
  
Seifer approached her cautiously and cleared his throat when he made it there. He offered her his hand as Orange Satin continued to sing.   
  
Yeah, I can't help it, I can't help it, darling  
It's the way that I feel about you  
When you're around, love has me bound  
Strange, strange as it seems, oh.  
  
Quistis looked up. She took his hand and Seifer led her to the dance floor, along with the other couples. Seifer watched her with so much love, but Quistis was still unsure. The blond man put an arm around her waist, while the other took her hand in his. Quistis blushed at their intimacy, as she wrapped her arms around his neck.   
  
"Seifer...." She whispered. She looked up to meet his emerald orbs. "I'm sorry for running away from you." She turned her head away from him and looked down on the ground nervously. "I... I was scared. I didn't think that- I didn't think someone would love me back."  
  
"Why would anyone not love you?" he asked, with an arched eyebrow.   
  
Quistis shrugged. "I guess for all the years being an Instructor, I've learned to shut out everyone else." She sighed. "This is my first time feeling this way. The way with it with Squall... it was just a crush." She looked down, avoiding eye contact.  
  
It's your love that fills my world  
And I'll skip through life like a foolish girl  
  
Seifer snorted. "You think you're the only one with that problem?"  
  
The blond woman looked up.  
  
"Quistis, I was as scared as you when I realized I felt this way about you. I've never had anyone make me feel this way."  
  
"What about Rinoa?"  
  
Seifer shook his head. "With Rinoa... it was just like what you had with Squall. It was just some stupid high school crush. Nothing happened there. I mean, yeah, she and I spent our summer here, but it was just friends hanging out." He sighed and placed a finger under Quistis' chin, then lifted her head up to face him. "I guess what I'm trying to say is...." He rubbed the back of his neck nervously. "I'm as scared as you are now. Wherever I am, you're always there like a ghost haunting me."  
  
Quistis looked at him.  
  
The blond man rolled his eyes. "God, did that sound SO pathetic!"  
  
Quistis laughed and shook her head. "No, I think it's sweet!"  
  
Seifer looked at her and smiled. He leaned closer, their faces only inches away. Both of them took quiet deep breaths, their hearts beating together like symphony.  
  
'Cause I wanna spend from now on just loving you  
Yeah, I wanna spend my life just loving you.  
  
Their lips met into a loving kiss. Quistis felt herself melting in his embrace and the kiss that was making things possible. Seifer felt the same, his heart racing in a million beats.   
  
They were too wrapped up in each other's kiss that none of them knew that Orange Satin had stopped singing. They were standing in the middle of the room, oblivious to the world around them. Orange Satin reached for the microphone once again.  
  
"Congratulations to the new couple!" she spoke.  
  
Claps were heard all around them. Both blondes opened their eyes, their lips still locked in bliss. Quistis and Seifer quickly pulled away from each other and looked around. Quistis took a deep breath. Both of them had the matching colour of crimson red on their faces.   
  
Seifer took Quistis' hand and led her out of the dance floor and back up the stairs to the hotel lobby.   
  
  
  
  
"Seifer?" Quistis looked up, staring at the door instead of the person she was speaking to and took a deep breath. She inserted her key in the lock and began to twist it. She slowly pushed the door open.  
  
Seifer and herself had their backs facing each other. None of them knew that their rooms were in front of each other. The blond woman though to the kiss they mad earlier and that thought made her smile and blush some more. She took another deep breath to contain herself from smiling. "Are you coming back to Garden?" she asked. She smiled again, hoping for the right answer and turned around to face him.  
  
The blond man stopped twisting the door open and removed his key from the lock. He turned around and looked at her in a serious look. "I... I can't," he retorted.  
  
That answer was a slap on her face. Quistis' smile faded so quickly that Seifer might not have even seen her happy face. "Oh," was her only reaction. Inside though, she was ready to laugh and think of it as a joke, but as she looked into his eyes, she knew now that he was serious. She put her weight on her other leg and rubbed her arm. It seemed colder today, she thought. "Seifer, I don't understand.... With all the talk that we had together, maybe I could change your mind, but I guess I was wrong." She looked down on the ground, ashamed to show him her disappointment.  
  
Seifer shook his head and stepped forward towards her. "God, Quistis, why do you have to make a conclusion on something when you haven't even heard the whole story? It's not because of that!"  
  
Quistis looked up at him.   
  
"Okay, some part of it is that, but SeeD isn't the only thing in my life anymore. I've moved on and decided to think of something better to do. I know I can't spend my whole life fighting damn monsters that aren't even a match for me and that's just a waste of time for me. There are other things more important than that."  
  
Quistis frowned. "So, you're staying here then," she spoke softly.  
  
Seifer nodded. "Yeah I am. I found a job already and I'm planning on going to school so I can find a better career... Quistis..." He moved closer, then reached out with his hand towards her. He placed his hands on her shoulders and looked into her eyes. "I wish I could come with you but...."  
  
"But you want to start a new life here," she continued for him.   
  
They were quiet for awhile. It was now difficult for them. For only a few short moments of happiness, the tragedy was about to begin once more.   
  
Quistis' life was with SeeD and as being an Instructor in Balamb Garden and Seifer's life is moving on and finding a new life of his own in Deling City. Seifer had made up his mind and Quistis has yet to make up hers.   
  
"I wish I could say the same to you, Seifer," Quistis spoke, opening the door wider to her room. She turned and paused for a moment. "I wish I could stay with you, but you already know the answer on why I can't. I guess that means I can't change your mind, huh?"  
  
Seifer nodded. "I know." He turned as well, finishing his job on opening the door with his key and twisted it open. He too, paused. "Quistis!" He turned around.  
  
"Seifer!" she twisted her whole body around. Both of them had called each other at the same time. Anyone could have laughed at that awkwardness, but none of them felt like laughing.   
  
Seifer moved closer and leaned down to kiss her the second time that night. He closed his eyes, feeling her lips against his. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her in for a tight embrace, an embrace that felt like the whole world was watching him. "I love you," he whispered. He kissed her forehead and squeezed her, gently, yet tightly.  
  
Quistis closed her eyes and felt the warmth of his lips against her skin. Tears fell from her eyes. How she only wished he could come with her. "I love you too," she whispered back. "Good bye, Seifer," she included. She wrapped her arms around his waist and laid her face on his chest.  
  
The blond man closed his eyes in pain. "Good bye, Quisty," he said, calling her by her childhood nickname.   
  
Tears fell from her eyes and streaked down her face. She smiled, forcefully, but deep down inside, she was hurting. "See, I said good bye to you."  
  
"Yes, you did," he replied. He smiled, but, like Quistis, he was hurt deep down inside. Why does this have to end this way? Why do the Gods punish them so much? Just when their relationship begins to grow, the sun slowly fades away and keep their love from growing in the garden. "I'm not angry anymore, I was never angry," he said, mostly to himself. He was never angry with her when she left. He loved her more when she did.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
GoodGurl: Okay, this one is SOOOO sad! Is this the end? NO WAY! I can't leave it like this! I like a Queifer happy ending so don't worry folks, there's more where that came from! Thanx for all the reviewers who made this story happen:  
  
Lissa  
Shadow@ngel  
Ashbear  
Industrialis  
Grrl gamer  
Optical Goddess  
Ava Adore  
Nee  
Aeris Deathscythe  
Tickle the dragon  
Jacks  
Angelprinczess29  
Punker*chick  
Vick330  
Terra Trepe  
Jazzy  
Rinoa Tilmitt  
Selphie Ducky  
Stargazer  
Amelie  
Michelle  
Star Pheonix  
Sad-Dream  
Lovethestory  
Wonderful Failure  
Needhk03  
Crystal Ruby  
Seyenaidni  
Lil Selphie 


	21. Cat Fight

Note: I know I said I would continue with Seiftis/Queifer instead of a Zelphie or Squinoa, but there are people who would like to see more of Zelphie/Selphell so I hope this chapter will not stop people from reading this story. However, this will be tied in with the story of Seiftis/Queifer. This basically takes place back at the club when Zell dragged Selphie to the lineup for all the free hot dogs! Its funny in a way! It contrasts with what's going on so far in Seiftis/Queifer.  
  
  
  
Chapter 21 - Cat Fight   
  
  
  
She watched the blond with so much curiosity. All her life, she has been trying to figure out her very best friend. When they were young, she remembered Quistis going after Seifer after he savagely and ruthlessly ruined the only sand castle that Quistis created herself. Rinoa told her about what was going on. At first, Selphie could not believe the possibility of Quistis actually falling in love with the man who almost killed Rinoa. In truth, she was glad that Quistis finally opened up to someone, yet she still could not take it into consideration that it would be Seifer Almasy.   
  
After failing to see through Quistis' thoughts, she was suddenly being pulled by a strong hand grasped gently around her arm.   
  
"Great! Let's go get hot dogs, Selph!" Zell screamed through the crowd. He practically dragged across the dance floor and towards the line up at the hot dog stand located just to the right of the bar.   
  
"Hey, Zelly! Slow down!" she yelled.   
  
When they got there, Zell cursed some words that Selphie couldn't stand hearing and stomped at his foot like a little child. The line, she noticed, was very long and they had to stand up at the very end, which reached almost to the backstage. Sometimes Selphie can't stand it when Zell loses his temper, but she loved him very much. Their date may not have been that great, but tonight may change all that. They were, after all, at a club with all their friends. Selphie sighed and reached out to rub Zell's shoulders to calm him down.   
  
Zell sighed and took Selphie's hand and gently guided her to the back of the line. He was disappointed.   
  
  
  
It was at least half an hour when they finally had their turn to get the hot dogs. However, by the time they got there, the man watching over the hot dogs shook his head and placed a sign on the table that they had run out. Selphie took a deep breath and turned around, hoping that smoke was not coming out of his ears.   
  
Zell, to her surprise, seemed fine. He looked at her and shrugged, obviously disappointed, but did not show it. Selphie smiled slightly and took his hand in hers. "Zelly, why don't we dance? It'll get your mind off of things."  
  
The blond nodded. "Sure," he answered.  
  
The brunette smiled and led him to the dance floor, where they began to dance an upbeat song. Selphie and Zell wrapped their arms around each other and began to dance, not really caring whether their timing was right. Both of them were having the time of their lives, happy to be amongst the people their age.   
  
Selphie was quite shocked that Zell could dance so well. He led her into a slow dance at first, then into some kind of waltz, only faster. "Wow, Zell! I didn't know you could dance so well!"   
  
This was their official date. For a week or so, they have been stuck in Garden, trying to rekindle their friendship and re-enact Zell asking Selphie out on a date, as if to start all over again. Irvine did not hesitate to set them up to another date. It was not their idea at first to go to a club in Deling City, but it was Irvine's idea to bring the gang together. His efforts actually paid off.   
  
Zell shrugged. "Yeah, well it's no big deal."  
  
"What do you mean it's no big deal? It's a great deal! You can dance even better than Squall!" She glanced behind him to make sure Squall wasn't standing there glaring at her.   
  
Zell laughed. "That's true!" He dipped her and kissed the tip of her nose. Yes, it was their official date, as girlfriend and boyfriend that is.  
  
Selphie giggled and slapped his arm playfully. Zell brought her back up and they began to dance again. She rested her chin on his shoulder and looked up behind him. Squall and Rinoa were sitting on the table they chose when they arrived. They were eating some food and were enjoying watching the people dance, especially the two energetic couple. Rinoa had her arm linked with Squall's, resting her head on his shoulder. One thing that seemed odd was that Quistis was not present. "Hey... where's Quistis?"  
  
Zell looked over his shoulder at the couple and shrugged. "Maybe she went to the bathroom."  
  
Selphie nodded, agreeing to his suggestion and closed her eyes, comfortable around Zell's arms. "Yeah," she whispered in his ear.  
  
"Hey everyone! Who wants a free hot dog?!" a loud, booming voice yelled through the noise, interrupting the serenity that surrounded the couple. Upon hearing the phrase 'hot dog,' Zell released himself from around Selphie's arms and ran through the crowd, gathering around the small stand. Zell lifted up his hand and 'volunteered' for a free hot dog.  
  
"Me, I want a free hot dog!" he yelled.  
  
"Zell! What are you doing?" Selphie planted both her hands on her hips and pouted.   
  
Zell turned around and grinned. He shrugged and opened his mouth to speak, when the same voice that interrupted them earlier, intruded once again. "So, you want to get a hot dog, do ya?"   
  
Zell turned back around and nodded, staring at a pair of green eyes. The man had dark hair, mostly around his early twenties, with a square jaw and very handsome teeth. Zell could recognize he was the DJ, because of the way he was dressed. A green, slugging sweater with a hood attached at the back. A large earphone clung behind his neck and he lifted up a tray towards Zell. Fumes escaped the silver cover of the tray and Zell's eyes, Selphie noticed, were filled with desire; something that Selphie rarely sees on the blonde's face.  
  
The DJ opened the cover and, like rapid fire, the smoke reached Zell's nose and his eyes rolled at the back of his head and smiled. The DJ quickly pulled it away out of Zell's reach and grinned. "If you want this hot dog so much, dude, you have to take a dare that we will give you. What do you say?"  
  
Selphie's eyes glowed. A dare? She glanced at Zell, who seemed very unsure if he should take the chance. If he took the dare, that may be very embarrassing or very gross that could ruin his reputation as a SeeD, he will not be able to show his face again in public. If not... Selphie shook her head. Who cares if he didn't, just as long as Zell DOESN'T!  
  
Zell nodded. "All right, what do you want me to do?"  
  
The DJ turned to the crowd. "Hey folks! We have a challenger here tonight! Give it up for...." He put the tray down and put the microphone closer to Zell's face. "What's your name, buddy?"  
  
Zell took a deep breath. He leaned closer to the microphone. "Um... Zell... Zell Dincht."  
  
"Well, my name's Archer," he spoke. He gazed up beside the blond and noticed Selphie standing there. "And look at what we have here! This must be Zell's girl friend! What's your name sweetheart?"  
  
Selphie gulped. She reached out and tugged at Zell's shirt lightly. The blond didn't seem to notice. When Archer noticed her uneasiness, he leaned back quickly and took a deep breath. "Anyway, Zell! The challenge for you will be to take off all your clothes and change into some women's clothes, and don't forget to wear their thongs!"  
  
Loud cheers could be heard around them. Selphie gasped. 'What kind of dare is this?' she thought. Maybe if she tugged at his shirt again, he'll snap out of it.  
  
Zell's eyes glowed. "What?" His voice suddenly grew weak and he could feel a lump in his throat.   
  
"I said it before and I'll say it again!" Archer replied. "You will wear a woman's thongs! So.... Who will be the lucky lady to give Zell a thong? Anyone?" He searched around the crowd at all the women. All the girls looked at each other, while all the guys persuaded their girlfriends or sisters or whatever to give away their thongs.   
  
The dare was beginning to feel hopeless and Zell prayed that no one will step forward, otherwise, they would be forced to give the hotdog to him so it won't be wasted.   
  
Unfortunately, an attractive young woman, maybe around his age stepped forward. And his worst fears were taken place when the woman winked at Zell and opened her mouth to speak.   
  
"I don't mind if someone as cute as you will wear my thong!" she spoke, with an English accent. The young woman, had short, dark curly hair and wore a black short skirt where her panties or rather, thongs would show if she bent down for only a little bit. Too short, Selphie grimaced.  
  
Zell flushed in embarrassment.  
  
Selphie was getting red in the face.  
  
"All right folks! We have a candidate! What's your name beautiful?" Archer left his little stage and moved the microphone closer to her so she could talk. The girl winked once again at Zell and took out her gum that she was chewing the whole time. She stuck it on her left thumb and winked at the DJ.  
  
"The name's Gazel Peznet," she replied.  
  
"Gazel! If you would kindly escort Mr. Dincht to the ladies' bathroom, it will be greatly appreciated. We will send someone there to see if you have done it."  
  
Gazel nodded and grabbed Zell's hand. "Come on, sweetie! Let's get lucky!" She felt a hand on her shoulder, pausing the woman in her tracks and turned around suddenly. She noticed a short young woman staring at her with her large, emerald eyes. "May I help you?"  
  
Selphie frowned. "That's my guy you're holding! Let him go, now!"   
  
Gazel snorted. "Are you sure? It seems like he's more than willing to take the chance at following me to the bathroom and changing his masculine ways."  
  
"You cow! Let him go!" Selphie growled.  
  
Zell sighed. "Awwww, come on, Selph! It's only a dare! It's not like- hey! What do you mean change my masculine ways?"  
  
Gazel patted his shoulder. "Don't worry cutie, I know a lot of gay men like you who are still unsure about their.... Sexuality."  
  
The blond's eyes glowed in disbelief.  
  
"THAT'S IT!" Selphie hissed. She jumped on Gazel and began clawing at her back. Gazel screeched, falling on the ground, face first.   
  
"EEK! Get her off of me! Get her off of me!" Gazel placed her hands on her head and put her head down as a way to drive off the crazy woman attacking her.   
  
Zell shrugged. "Well, you asked for it." He couldn't believe the woman thought of him as gay! He's not gay! NO WAY!  
  
Selphie bit her ears and spat the bits away from her mouth. With evil eyes, she clawed at the girl again, her ears left bloodied as Gazel struggled to get her off. Everyone just stared in disbelief, unsure if they should interfere with the drama that beheld in front of them. The men were just engrossed in the 'cat fight' while the women enjoyed watching Gazel get beaten up by someone smaller than her. Someone might say, these women were Gazel's enemies.  
  
"You whore!" Gazel screeched. She reached behind her back and attempted to grab her hair, but Selphie just bit her arm, causing the taller woman to yelp in pain. Gazel put her arms down and swayed her arms back and forth. Maybe the short woman will lose her grip if she moved a lot.   
  
"You're more whore than I am! You skank!" she yelled in her ears.   
  
"Okay! Stop, stop! I'm sorry! I won't steal your boyfriend!" Gazel pleaded. She collapsed on the ground, her knees shaking in fear. This woman is CRAZY!   
  
Satisfied, Selphie let her go and landed on the ground expertly. She grabbed Zell's hand and lifted her head proudly towards the woman. "Now, if you excuse me, Zell and I will finish our dance!" Together, they walked off to the dance floor.  
  
"You crazy bitch!" Gazel yelled. Everyone looked at her as Gazel stood up. She adjusted the torn blouse on her shoulders and took a deep breath, walking off with her head held high, as if to say, 'what are you looking at?'  
  
Archer blinked. "O-kay...." He spoke. He ran back to his 'throne' and put the microphone back on the stand. "Well, that was a sight for sore eyes," he commented. He placed a new CD on the recorder and turned it on. "All right everyone! Dance until your feet can no longer dance!"  
  
Forgetting about what just happened, everyone began to dance, while the rest continued on with their conversation. Archer looked beyond a couple and towards the two 'odd' looking pair. Odd, meaning strange indeed. The short girl had some type of illness to attack Gazel suddenly, while the boy, had these obsessions on hot dogs. Very odd indeed. Shaking his head, Archer went on with being a DJ and shook his head of the thoughts.   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
GoodGurl: Heh heh... I don't know what I was thinking. I jest wanted the readers to rest for a little bit from the most depressing Seiftis ever and laugh for once! It wasn't funny, just a little crazy, but it was still funny. Well, I think so. 


	22. Alessandro's Restaurante

Note: After that uh... incident at the club, Zell and Selphie later joins the other couples on the dance floor. Then... I don't wanna give away the plot, so jest read on. Thanx to those who reviewed! Oh, this is another um... comic relief. I jest wanted to take a break from all that heartache.  
  
  
Chapter 22 - Alessandro's Restaurante   
  
  
  
The power that forced her to drive crazy immediately faded from her thoughts. They stepped out of the club, holding each other's hands and Selphie found herself staring up at the stars. They strolled down the sidewalk admiring the beauty of Deling City's lights.   
  
Zell yawned, releasing his grip on Selphie's hand and put it around her shoulders. He pulled her in closer to him as they continued to walk. Selphie rested her head on his shoulder. "Well, I guess it's time to go to sleep."  
  
Selphie looked up and shook her head. "I'm not sleepy yet. How about we go eat at a restaurant or something?" Before the blond could answer, Selphie screeched in delight and pointed to a building nearby. Zell followed her finger and found a bright restaurant, the usual house size, only with no second floor, filled with people. Orange neon colour flashed 'Alessandro's Restaurante' above the heads of the customers. Selphie took Zell's hand and dragged him to the restaurant. Zell did not have a chance to check his pocket to see if he had any money with him. The restaurant seemed expensive, despite the beautiful décor of roses hanging by the door post. The door itself, was painted gold to show the magnificent beauty of the restaurant.   
  
Once they arrived, the pair was greeted with a tall, skinny man with a moustache that curled upwards. He wore a black suit with a tailcoat cut up to his rear, which split into two behind him and a white, polo shirt underneath it. His hair was slicked back by hair gel. They could both tell that the greeter put too much of the transparent substance when a tiny blob of gel fell on his shoulder. He had the smile of an undertaker in a funeral.   
  
"Hello," the man greeted, with a very deep voice, one that could pass as the horn of a large ferry. "Welcome to Alessandro's Restaurante, my name is Josiah Murdock. How many seats for tonight?" Although the application told Josiah to smile at the customers, he did not attempt to do so, nor did he make a small hint that he wanted to smile.   
  
Selphie stepped forward and waved her hand in front of her. "Hi, Mr. Murdock. We'd like two seats please!"  
  
The man glanced at Zell, his face still distorted with a frown, as if he has been bored all his life. Instead of speaking, he turned around and walked away. Selphie and Zell looked at each other, unsure if they should follow. Josiah paused and turned around, waving his hand. Zell and Selphie nodded and followed the man to a round table for two right by the window; wonderful view right by the lake of Deling. There was candlelight in the middle of the white covered table and a rose attached to it, small enough to be leveled with the shortness of the white candlelight. Selphie smiled and watched the flame dancing about on the black stems and her eyes traveled up towards Zell, who was watching her with a gaze that made her shiver. It the gaze Selphie found really sexy.   
  
"This is so romantic, Zelly," she whispered, staring into his green eyes.  
  
Zell smiled and placed a hand on her own, squeezing it ever so gently. Before he could caress her cheek, a loud, squeeking voice in Italian interrupted their moment. Zell and Selphie looked up.   
  
A man around his thirties, dressed in a chef's clothing, approached them, with two menus in one hand, while the other, resting right beside him. Unlike the greeter, the man was clean-shaven, with curly brown hair and large blue eyes. He smiled as he put the two menus in front of them, then left without another word.  
  
The couple opened their menus and examined their choice of food. Selphie was the first one to put down the menu. "Okay, I chose my food. What about you?"  
  
Zell furrowed his eyebrows, his eyes still scanning the laminated triangular paper in his hands. "Um... I guess I'll have to take the Motze Mam... Mam...." He put the menu down so Selphie could see and pointed to a word.   
  
Selphie leaned back and giggled. "You mean Mamatezzo? Motze Mamatezzo.... You sure you want that?"  
  
The blond shrugged. "It sounds like mozzarella to me."  
  
Selphie shook her head. "Trust me, you don't want that. It's Adamantoise liver with Geezard tail and Narnuro plant."  
  
Zell grimaced. "Eck! You're right, I don't want it." He picked up his menu and scanned some more. However, there was nothing else. Before he could make another choice, the man with the curly hair approached them once again, this time, holding a pad of paper and a pen in his hands.   
  
"Hello, I am Alessandro! Are you ready to order?" He had a slight Italian accent on him. Zell guessed he was probably from around Shumi village.   
  
Selphie looked up and smiled. "You must be the owner, then?"  
  
Alessandro nodded. "Yes. Me gave my workers some break for today."  
  
Selphie admired his generosity. "That's nice of you!"  
  
Alessandro nodded. "Thank you. Are you ready to order?" The waiter repeated.  
  
"Yes, I'd like to have the Estharian spaghetti please with mushrooms," Selphie replied.  
  
Alessandro nodded, jotting down Selphie's orders. "Would you like special Estharian cheese with that?" He asked, not looking up.  
  
The brunette nodded. "Yes, please."  
  
Alessandro wrote down the last order and turned his attention towards the blond. "You sir?"  
  
Zell shrugged. "I didn't have time to order actually."  
  
The curly man stared at him strangely. "Um... oh.... Okay... Would you like more time?"  
  
Zell shook his head. "No it's all right. Do you have any hot dogs?"  
  
Alessandro looked at Selphie. "Well.... Um... w- we have the- special spaghetti with cut out hot dogs in it...."   
  
Zell agreed. "I'll have that then." He put his menu down on the table.  
  
The waiter gaze up at him one more time, then grabbed the two menus and proceeded towards the kitchen. When he was gone, Selphie turned to Zell and giggled.   
  
"You do know that there is no such thing as that special right?" Selphie asked, forcing herself not to laugh.  
  
Zell snorted and folded his arms across his chest. "Yeah well, they should have some hot dog menus!"  
  
Selphie giggled. "Okay," she replied.  
  
  
They waited for at least half an hour when the food finally arrived. Selphie's platter with the Estharian spaghetti proved to be one good dinner. White cheese drooled all over the cooked 'worm' noodles and cut out mushrooms made a décor around the spaghetti. Zell watched as Selphie carefully ate the left side of the mushrooms first, making the circle into a semi-circle and made her way for the spaghetti, grabbing her fork beside the plate. She stabbed the in between the noodles and twirled her fork around between her fingers until a bunch of noodles made it all around her utensil. She lifted up the fork towards her mouth and stuffed the food inside, then began to chew.   
  
Zell laughed. Selphie paused at the sudden noise and looked into his eyes, furrowing her eyebrows in confusion.  
  
"What's so funny?"   
  
"You have red sauce on your face," he told her, reaching out to wipe the blob of sauce from the corner of her mouth. In his mind, he wanted to lick it from her face, but he shook his thought away from that inappropriate thinking.   
  
Selphie giggled. She put the fork down and stared at his plate, which was already empty. To her surprise, she blinked and looked up at him. "You finished already?"  
  
Zell nodded. "Yeah. It wasn't that bad, but it was still filling. Alessandro managed to put a whole lot of hot dog in my spaghetti. The sauce wasn't that bad either."  
  
Selphie smiled. "So, you enjoyed your dinner then?" She twirled some more spaghetti around her fork and put that in her mouth, chewing silently.  
  
"Yeah, I guess," Zell answered, watching her eat. He enjoyed watching her eat. "You know, you look cute when you eat."  
  
Selphie blushed. "No flattery while I'm eating," she spoke between mouth full. She opened her mouth to show Zell her half eaten food inside and closed them back down again when she noticed his disgusted look, making her giggle.   
  
Zell closed his eyes. "Okay, now that's not cute," he commented.  
  
A few more minutes passed and Selphie finally put her fork down on the plate. She leaned back and sighed.  
  
"Are you done?" Zell asked, sitting on the chair patiently, who has been watching Selphie eat her dinner from beginning to end.   
  
Selphie nodded. "Yeah, but now I need to go to the bathroom."  
  
Zell nodded. "Fine. Go ahead, while I ask for the bill." He was patient around her of course. He understood Selphie had fast metabolism, unlike any of the women he's known. That didn't matter to him, however. He just loved her because she was sweet and caring and... very defensive when it came to mocking her friends.   
  
Selphie went over to his side, kissed him on the cheek before heading to the women's bathroom, which was located just behind where Selphie sat. She would have to walk pass the bar to make it to the washroom.  
  
Zell spotted Alessandro serving another couple on the far side of the room. He lifted up his hand to get his attention and when Alessandro looked up, he nodded towards the manager/waiter and put his arm back down.  
  
A few seconds and Alessandro was finally at his side. As if on cue, the waiter gave the bill to Zell and left him to tend to the other customers. Zell opened the brown item and inside, revealed his cost of the food.   
  
"210 gil...." He mumbled, putting the bill down and reaching inside his pocket for the gil. He furrowed his eyebrows in confusion when he felt nothing but the jeans of his pocket. Zell reached with the other pocket with his other hand and the only thing present was the Monopoly paper gil when he was playing with Squall in Balamb. Then, he remembered that he must have left half of his real gil back at Garden. Zell cursed, almost wanting to slam his fists down on the table, but he didn't. "Shit!" he cursed silently, not wishing to have anyone stare at him.   
  
Having no choice left, he stuffed the 300 paper gil inside and closed it tight, hoping the waiter wasn't going to check it while they were there. Selphie returned a minute later, with a glow on her face. Zell stood up, trying not to show his nervousness and lend a hand for her to take. Selphie nodded and together they left the restaurant with full stomachs.   
  
They were getting ready to step out of the building, when a familiar voice stopped them on their tracks. Both of them turned around and noticed Alessandro running towards them, with the same paper gil in his hands. The curly-haired man approached them with anger creasing his forehead.  
  
"You make Alessandro a fool?!" he spoke, waving the paper money around. "You give me this paper money to pay for the food Alessandro fried and cooked with his bare hands?!"  
  
Selphie looked at the short man. She almost grimaced at the thought of the man making the good spaghetti with his hands. "What are you talking about, sir?  
  
Alessandro pointed towards Zell. "Your boyfriend here make fool of Alessandro! He give me this paper gil from Monopoly to pay for food!"  
  
Selphie glanced at the blond. "Zell!" Selphie yelled. She turned back towards the short man. "I'm sorry sir. Apparently, my boyfriend here must have forgotten the rest of his gil back at Garden. When we get back there, we'll deliver you all the gil we owe."  
  
Alessandro shook his head. "NO! You eat, you pay!" He began to push them towards the direction of the kitchen, while the customers became the spectators of the whole event. "You will wash dishes!"  
  
"Dishes? Oh well, that doesn't sound too bad," Zell spoke.   
  
___________________________________  
  
  
When they arrived inside the kitchen, they were standing in front of hundreds and hundreds of small and large plates all stacked together in a tower inside the sink. The right side of the sink consisted of thousands of forks, spoons and knives gathered together. While cups and pots covered around the sink. Selphie glanced at Zell and frowned.  
  
"You just had to forget the rest of the gil, don't you?" She walked to the sink and grabbed the soap and the sponge from the container and began to soap the first plate from the stack. Zell went to the right side and waited for Selphie to hand him the plate so he could rinse it.   
  
"What about you? You expected me to pay everything at the restaurant? How was I suppose to know we were going to a very eat? I thought we ate already!" Zell grabbed the plate from Selphie's hand and turned on the water, then put the plate underneath. He rubbed his hand on the plate and when he was finished, he put the first clean plate on the counter beside him.  
  
Selphie grabbed another plate and soaped it was well. "I thought you had the gil! I thought you had all of it in your pocket!" she hissed, handing the second plate to Zell roughly.  
  
Zell glared at her. "You always expect everything do you?! You always expect me to pay for everything just because I'm a guy!" He washed the second plate and when he turned towards her, the plate was shoved towards him, surprising Zell.  
  
Alessandro stood by the door, listening to them argue. He rolled his eyes and sighed, feeling sorry for the couple.   
  
"Well, excuse me!" Selphie fired back. She soaped two more plates, shoving them two at a time towards her boyfriend. "I'm not the one who lied about having all the gil!" A plate shattered on the ground, breaking in half. Selphie was too busy to even notice.  
  
"I'm not the one who wanted to eat at a restaurant!!!" Zell yelled. The plate given to him by Selphie fell from his hand and shattered as well on the floor.   
  
Alessandro watched in horror.   
  
Selphie glared at him, grabbing another plate without looking. She threatened to throw a plate at him. "I'm not the one who -" She was interrupted by a hand grabbing the plate from Selphie.   
  
"That is enough of you!" Alessandro spoke. He put the plate down on the counter and sighed at the sight of the broken plates on the floor, then looked up at the two. "I do not want to hear you argue! You love each other, yet this is what I see? You leave now!"  
  
"But... what about our pay?" Zell asked.  
  
Alessandro shook his head. "No pay! You mail to me gil! I do not want to see your anger towards each other. It gives me heartache. Fighting is not answer to problem!"  
  
Selphie and Zell looked at each other, feeling ashamed.  
  
"You speak of love, yet you act in resentment. Argue all you want, but it will not solve your problem."  
  
"HARRY!" A woman's voice echoed the kitchen. "DID YOU LEAVE THE TOILET SEAT UP AGAIN?!"   
  
Zell and Selphie gazed up at a flight of stairs beside them. A woman's head emerged from the stairs, glaring at Alessandro with her icy green eyes. "YOU IDIOT! HOW MANY TIMES DO I HAVE TO WARN YOU?! I SHOULD HAVE DIVORCED YOU A LONG TIME AGO!!!!"  
  
"SHADDUP YOU OLD HAG!" Alessandro yelled out. "I'M WORKING HERE!"  
  
Selphie and Zell watched on, their feet planted firmly on the ground. They couldn't move at all. Zell reached out and took Selphie's hand, then squeezed it lightly, as if to show how sorry he was for yelling at her.   
  
Alessandro turned to the two. "Excuse me, while I speak with my wife..." He looked at the woman and together, the two went upstairs, their feet shaking the top floor. They could hear the loud screams upstairs.  
  
"IS THIS HOW YOU SHOW ME, WOMAN? YOU SHOW ME HOSTILITY WHEN I GIVE YOU EVERYTHING YOU WANT?" came Alessandro's voice.  
  
"SHADDUP YOU ASS-WHOLE! YOU CALL YOURSELF A HUSBAND WHEN YOU'RE LOUSY IN BED!"   
  
Zell looked at Selphie. "Let's get out of here, Selph," he whispered.  
  
Selphie nodded. Together, they left the kitchen and into the back way to the alley. Selphie stayed close by Zell's side and could still hear the loud arguments of the married couple. Zell looked up and found that the window to their bedroom was open.  
  
"YOU JERK! I SHOULD HAVE MARRIED CLIVE INSTEAD OF YOU!" Harry's wife screamed. They heard a glass shatter and saw clothes flying out the window.  
  
"CLIVE?!!!!!!!!!!!! MY BEST FRIEND, CLIVE????!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! YOU BITCH! YOU KNOW HOW CLOSE WE ARE AND YOU COMPARE ME WITH HIM?!!!"   
  
They heard a slam and Selphie's eyes widened in shock. She looked up at the window and the slamming became worst. "My God! Should we help her?!" she asked, looking at Zell.  
  
The door to the kitchen opened and out came Alessandro, with a bleeding nose and funniest look a man could ever show when his own wife beats him up.  
  
"YOU TRY TO HIT ME AGAIN AND I'LL POUND YOU UNTIL YOUR HEAD FALLS OFF!" the woman yelled from the bedroom.   
  
Zell tilted his head in amusement, almost laughing at the irony, but contained himself. "Um... I don't think she does," he replied. The thought of the woman being abusive towards his husband made him realized how strong women could be.  
  
Selphie said nothing and together, the two went on their way back to Deling City hotel, where they were suppose to meet Squall and Rinoa.  
  
In irony, the man who gave them advice not to fight was caught in an argument of his own with his wife. Selphie hugged Zell close and leaned her head on his shoulder.   
  
"I'm sorry, Zell," Selphie whispered.  
  
Zell kissed her temple and closed his eyes. "I'm sorry too, Selphie."  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
GoodGurl: WHEW! Finally finished that! It wasn't that funny so... yeah... anyway, I hope this was still funny. Well, that's all I'm going to say. See ya the next chappy! 


	23. FollowYour Heart

Note: I expected people not to review my story, since that last chappy was dumb. Anyway, I'm close to finishing this story and I'm thinking of making a sequel, depending on how many reviews I get. Sorry Medieval fans, you might have to wait for that story to finish after I'm done my trilogy. Anyway, here is the second... maybe last chapter before Epilogue of this story. Enjoy!  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Chapter 23 - Follow Your Heart   
  
  
  
He woke up, startled by the sound of the loud thunder banging against the window. Another dream had passed, this time, it felt more real than his usual dreams. Everyday, he would come back to that same place and would find himself scooping up more blood in his hands and staring at it like pure water. A woman appeared to him and lend out her hands towards him, inviting him for more blood. He would take her hand and lead him somewhere more deathly than the screams and cries of the people around him. Her words sounded sincere, yet he knew there was some kind of evil underneath it. Despite his willingness to refuse, however, he takes his hand in hers and they walked together back to the place where blood covered the whole world.   
  
Seifer sat up from bed and glanced out the window, beads of sweat falling heavily down his tired brow. There were times that the dreams frightened him, but now, he had confidence in himself. He would think of Quistis and all his guilt would quickly wither away.   
  
"Quistis!" he whispered, getting up from bed. Sun peeked through the window, caressing his cheeks and the warmth enveloped him, imagining Quistis' slender arms wrapped around his body. Seifer ran from his bedroom and across the hall where Quistis had stayed overnight.   
  
Feeling his heart race, he knocked frantically on the door, calling out Quistis' name desperately. He just can't let her go. "Quistis!" he called. "Quistis! Open up!"   
  
After a few knocks, he was relieved to find the door opening. Yet, to his disappointment, a short, stout woman with short curly brown hair appeared from behind the door. She had copper skin and small emerald eyes. He could tell by the way she was dressed that she was the hotel maid. She couldn't be more than thirty years old.   
  
"Where is the woman who was staying here?" he asked, looking around behind her. The bed, the dresser and the floor of the room were neat and tidy and there was no trace of Quistis with her blond locks and her beautiful smile.  
  
The woman seemed perplexed at the mere sight of a tall, handsome man knocking on the door at ten in the morning. "A woman? You mean the blond woman who just left an hour ago?" She put the cloth on her shoulder and stared up at him. She had to lean back and stare up at him, like a small dwarf staring at a giant.  
  
Seifer closed his mouth shut and mumbled a short curse. He glanced at her one more time, before dashing out through the hallway and out the door. People stared at him as he ran, the thought of losing Quistis making him run faster. There was fifty percent chance that Ragnarok could still be taking flight.   
  
He turned another corner and ran straight ahead. He was practically running through the streets, while people in cars swerved to the right and to the left to avoid contact with the crazy man running a marathon. Women holding their children's hand watched him dash pass the stores and pass the busy sidewalk, where he finally took the time to run where people walked instead of where cars drove on. The rest of the townspeople who saw him sprint by, ignored him, as if it was just one of those days that most people do on the weekends.   
  
Seifer took another turn and finally made it to the landing pod where Selphie and Zell, he guessed would park Ragnarok. However, with all of hopes in his heart, the red flyer was already gone. Seifer took a moment to breath from the long pace and leaned his back against the walls of the airport.   
  
"Shit!" he swore, slamming a fist against his open palm in frustration.   
  
  
  
The destination was barely forty-five minutes. Ragnarok was quite fast and it took no time at all when it finally made it to the landing dock of Balamb Garden. Quistis stared out the window as Zell maneuvered the flying vehicle down to the opening side of the Garden, while Selphie navigated him to where to turn or where not to turn. The blond stared at the two, feeling envious of the close relationship they have with each other. Sometimes, she wished Seifer would wash away all the guilt he felt towards himself and join her back at Garden. But, she knew she couldn't change his mind. When it came for Seifer Almasy to make up a mind, he wouldn't dare change it for the world... even if it means, changing it for her.   
  
Selphie and Zell were flirting among each other. Selphie stole a few kisses on his cheek when no one was looking. Quistis glanced to her right where Irvine was leaning his head against the window, tired from his 'night out' with the two girls whom he met at the club. Rinoa and Squall were all the way at the back, preferably, in Quistis' ideas, cuddling each other with Rinoa resting her head against his shoulder, while Squall caressing her hair lovingly.   
  
'Today is Sunday,' she thought. Sunday was the day she marked all the homework and tests done on that week. Usually, her 'marking days' were on Saturdays, but since she was at the club... she decided to move her marking days on Sundays. She closed her eyes and brushed a finger to her lips where Seifer had kissed her last night. The moment was short, yet it felt like forever.  
  
"Knock, knock!" Quistis blinked and opened her eyes. A pair of green orbs stared down at her.  
  
"Hey Quis! Are you in there? We've landed already! Aren't you getting out?" Never mind... make it two pairs of green orbs. Quistis looked up at Zell and Selphie staring at her with curious looks. The blond forced a smile on her face, stood up and walked pass them, without taking another look to the couple. Her mind was somewhere else.  
  
___________________________________  
  
  
Seifer returned to the hotel a couple of minutes later, feeling low and pathetic. How could he let her go just like that? The moment last night was like heaven to him, as if he had died and an angel carried him off to the clouds.   
  
He paused by the hallway. A man dressed in black stood by his bedroom door. At the sound of the blonde's footsteps, the man turned around and gave Seifer a slight smile, before opening the door to let himself in. Seifer sighed and joined him inside.  
  
"Where did you run off to in such a hurry?" the man spoke, sitting himself down on the chair by the window.  
  
Seifer shrugged. "It doesn't matter anymore," he answered.  
  
"Never mind that then," he said, leaning his head back on the windowsill. "Seifer, you've stayed here for a week, so don't you think it's time that you find an apartment of your own?"  
  
The blond sighed and sat down on the bed, sagging his shoulders a little. "Look Warner, what place I live in is none of your business. Besides, I already found an apartment that I could probably stay in."  
  
"Hey, I'm just trying to be a friend, that's all. With your work and the amount of wage that you get, you can still afford to find a house of your own," Warner spoke, in a gruff voice.  
  
"The house or the apartment is not my concern right now, Warner. Now, get the hell out of my room!" Seifer stood up and pointed out the door.  
  
Warner stood up, feeling hurt. "Hey, Seifer... I'm just trying to tell you what is right, not what you should do. Trust me, with the choices that you've made so far, you know you can't get anywhere. The woman you were with last night was one beauty and you let her go just like that." The dark haired man turned and walked away, out of the room.  
  
Seifer knew Warner was trustworthy, but the position he was in now, there was no point but to let him out. Warner was just being a pain in the ass. Warner meant well, he understood, but he had no right to tell him about Quistis.   
  
The blond sighed and glanced at his watch. He only had a few minutes until he had to go to work. Seifer shed all his clothes and jumped in the shower quickly.   
  
____________________________________________________  
  
  
Quistis sat alone. No sign of the students and the faculty around the cafeteria or the main hallway. She guessed they were all at the training center getting ready for their SeeD exams coming up soon. She was impressed at how many students who were up early at the exam days, eager to take it and then pass with high marks.   
  
She stared at the papers in front of her, blankly, while twirling the pen between her fingers. Strands of blond hair fell from her eyes, still wet from the shower she took the moment she came back. She spent half of her shower time, thinking of Seifer, instead of lathering her hair with shampoo and of his kiss rather than washing away the dirt from her body.   
  
There was a slight pause of her pen twirling. She blinked and then continued to twirl her pen, much faster than she had hoped. Why hadn't she chosen to stay? She knew she couldn't leave SeeD, but she also knew that if her heart relies on SeeD all the time, she will never stop thinking about Seifer.   
  
Someone sat down in front of her, yet she did not wish to see whom it was. Her mind was somewhere else, particularly on her decisions. The person who sat down beside her was very light and she could tell by how much the table moved, which wasn't a lot. She was stuck in between her love for Seifer and her love for SeeD.   
  
"Hey, Quisty! How's it going?" She could easily recognize Rinoa's voice, but Quistis didn't really feel like talking to anyone.   
  
"Fine," she mumbled. She continued to twirl her pen, staring at the papers in front of her, feeling no power to mark them.   
  
"Listen, Quisty, I think you should follow your heart, not your instinct. SeeD may last forever, but love lasts even longer, if you just give it a chance." This was the same Rinoa, with a quirky attitude and the most appealing sense of humor talking to the blond woman. Sometimes, she wished Rinoa wasn't so nice.   
  
Rinoa stood up and smiled. "Well, I better get going. Squall and I have somewhere to go to. Bye!" She waved her hand at the blond and quickly disappeared from Quistis' sight.  
  
Quistis took a deep breath, absorbing every sentence Rinoa spoke of. The pen fell from her fingers and landed on the hard, cement floor. Quistis stared down at it, like it was the most interesting item she has ever seen. It made a short 'clicking' sound, before it finally stayed still, the rear end facing her, while the front pointed out the door.   
  
The blond took another deep breath, standing up, feeling her decisions rise in her heart. The pen was the source of the power that has kept her all along in Garden. She took a step and another and another, until she made it towards the door. She glanced at the pen from far away, smiled at it, then walked out the door.   
  
The table was left empty, the pen was left on the floor and the papers were left unmarked.   
  
_____________________________________________________  
  
  
"Are you sure about this Quistis?" The tall, elderly Headmaster stared at Quistis through his thick glasses. For many years he has known this girl and not once did she ever make such a risky decision.   
  
As if reading his thoughts, Quistis adjusted her position on her seat and lifted her chin up proudly. "Things change, Sir," she spoke.  
  
Cid pushed his glasses higher up his nose with his middle finger and nodded, sitting down on the desk. He opened the first drawer and took a piece of paper. This was the paper that made every SeeD's decisions. The Headmaster slid the paper across the table and to Quistis' waiting hands. She grabbed it gingerly and stared at it with anticipation in her heart.  
  
"SeeD is going to miss you, Quistis," Cid spoke. He handed her a pen and watched her take it from him. For a moment, the pen dangled in her hands and he was even more curious when Quistis stared at the pen and smiled.   
  
Quistis stared at the pen and smiled. It was ironic how the pen could symbolize her duties, while it could also symbolize her freedom and independence. 'Two sides of the coin' she thought. "I am sure they will, Sir," she replied to the statement the Headmaster made earlier. She moved the tip of the pen to the where she was suppose to sign and smiled again, before finally writing her full name on it. She took one last look at the resignation paper and handed it back to Cid, where he put it securely inside his desk.   
  
Cid stood up, as well as the blond and offered her his hand. "I hope you come back soon," he said.  
  
Quistis nodded. "I will, sir. I will." She shook his hand.   
  
"I'll keep your files closed and you can return all you want. SeeD might need their best Instructor back."  
  
Quistis smiled. "Yes," she replied, letting go of his hand.  
  
________________________________________________________  
  
  
"Hey, Seifer dude!" A dark skinned man, tall and lean waved towards the blond heading their way. The blond gave a short nod as a greeting and made his way to the working area.  
  
"Where have you been?" another man spoke, one who was smaller than all the other men working at the docks. Despite his stature, the man, named Drain, was strong and could carry heavy equipment twice his size- no pun intended.   
  
Seifer shrugged and leaned against the butt of the sea vehicle used to transport certain things. He reached inside his pocket and took out a pack of cigarettes- Esthar Light, his favourite company. Naturally, Seifer never smoked, but today was an exception. Instead of drowning his sorrows on a cold beverage, he was drowning his sorrows on a puff of smoke. They were both very unhealthy for the usual healthy blond. "Doing some shitty stuff," he spoke, putting a cigarette in his mouth. He grabbed a lighter from his other pocket and lit the cigarette with one flick. He inhaled, then exhaled, letting out gray smoke from his mouth.  
  
"Wait! Wait! Let me guess!" Drain jumped down from the top of the transport vehicle and walked over to the blond. "Did you just get dumped by a girl?"   
  
Seifer didn't answer. He hated sharing his personal love life to his so-called friends.  
  
His no answer was certainly taken as a yes. "Damn! Who is it this time? Is it that hot red headed chick that you picked up from the Hell Mouth Club or is it that cute blond from Horizon Club? Which one is it?" The dark skinned man, who was named regularly by Drain as Overdrive, wrapped an arm around Seifer and grinned at him.  
  
Seifer glared at him, wanting to punch the guy across the nose, but he kept his frustration to himself. "Shut the hell up," he answered.  
  
Drain and Overdrive laughed and the laughter was later joined by more laughs from the rest of the men listening to their ranting. Seifer felt his cheeks go red, not of embarrassment, but of rage towards his fellow workers. "Yeah, yeah, whatever!" He climbed up the stairs to the transport vehicle and went inside the small hole to check if the vehicle was in good condition. That was his job as well. The whole hours spent was checking all of the transport vehicles to make sure they were running smoothly.  
  
"Hey! Look at that babe!" He heard Drain yell from outside. Seifer rolled his eyes. The one time he wished they wouldn't check out women while on the job. He could hear hoarse laughter from all the men watching the women walk by.   
  
"Man, she's hot!" came another voice, which Seifer guessed, is Harnet, a man taller than Seifer.   
  
"Seifer! Come look at this! You can't miss this beauty coming this way!" Seifer rolled his eyes and continued his work, checking out the engines and the consoles.  
  
"Hey baby!" Drain purred. Seifer figured the girl have reached the men.   
  
"Hi, have you seen Seifer Almasy?" Startled, Seifer jumped up and hit his head on the roof. The voice seemed familiar. He rubbed his head, cursing at the pain and listened some more.  
  
"Seifer Almasy?" Drain's voice faded from a deep voice into a disappointed, small voice, as if something hit his nuts. "Um... yeah... um..."  
  
The man stopped laughing and all the blond could hear was silence.   
  
Seifer chuckled at the thought of Drain chocking at the sight of a beautiful woman only to be turned down when the woman asks for someone else and not Drain.   
  
"Hey, Seifer you heard her you jackass!" Drain yelled. He peeked his head inside the hole and glared at him. "Get your ass out here!"  
  
Seifer scowled and pushed Drain's head out of the way so he could see outside. He lifted his legs up and was finally able to see who it really was looking for him. He gasped at the sight of Quistis staring at him with her intense blue eyes.  
  
Quistis waved and smiled, with all the envy of the men around them. "Hi, Seifer. Can I talk to you?"  
  
"Actually, I was just getting ready to work and-" he paused, feeling the men looking at him like he was such an idiot.   
  
"It won't take that long, I promise," she spoke.  
  
Seifer nodded. "Well, obviously not here. We'll talk inside the Inn," he said, walking over to her. He took her hand and together they walked down to the Inn. Drain, Overdrive and the men watched them go, green with envy. Drain cursed silently and went on with his work, while Overdrive's eyes widened in shock.   
  
"How does the man do it?" the dark skinned man spoke after a few minutes of silence.   
  
Drain frowned, glancing at the two blondes heading into the Inn. "Lucky bastard, I guess," he mumbled.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
GoodGurl: Heh heh, the ending was funny. That teaches them to make fun of Seifer Almasy. Anyway, that's the last chapter until the Epilogue! I hope you all enjoyed this! See ya on the next chappy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 


	24. Epilogue

Note: HI all! Thanx to everyone who's sticked by me throughout the story! I never could have done it without you! Especially you Crystal Ruby and Grrl Gamer, my two most dedicated reviewers! I hope to read some of your awesome fics too!  
  
  
Epilogue  
  
  
"Do you see anything?" Three figures peeked through the window of an abandoned building where the two had gone inside to 'chat.' Drain took a deep breath, squinting his eyes to peer closer, and then shook his head to respond to the question.  
  
"I can't see anything! It's too damn dark!" Black, tainted windows enabled him to see anything inside. There was only a slight rip at the corner of the paper and Drain, as desperate as he was to find out what was going on, peeked his way through the small eyehole. However, it was to no avail. It was too small to see. He glanced over his shoulder and frowned at the failed attempt.   
  
Overdrive gritted his teeth in frustration. "Damn!" he whispered, angrily.   
  
Neil, the third man who has been quiet all this time, frowned and stood up, turning around to continue his work. He was afraid their boss might come and get mad at them for being such perverts.   
  
The dark skinned man followed Neil back to their workplace, while Drain continued attempting to see inside.   
  
"AHEM!" Drain was startled to hear a voice from behind him. The short man fell backwards and landed on his rear in surprise. He glanced over his shoulder quickly and noticed a silver haired woman with her arms folded across her chest. A dark skinned man, with dark hair and fairly tall, stood beside her.   
  
Drain stood up quickly, brushing imaginary dirt from his pants and grinned at the silver haired woman. "Hi, Fuj!" he greeted. He glanced at the dark skinned man beside her. "Hi Raijin!"  
  
Fujin put on her wry face and tapped her toes. "PRIVACY!" she spoke, in her usual one word sentence. She knew who was inside. Although she felt hurt by it, she was glad Seifer found someone more decent. "WORK!"  
  
Drain smiled, walked over to her and wrapped his arms around the taller woman. "Of course, we'll have privacy!"  
  
Fujin slapped his arm away and glared at him. "SEIFER! PRIVACY!"  
  
The shorter man shook his head. "I know you want privacy with Seifer, but he's already making out with someone in there and- YOW!" Drain felt something hard hit his shin. He clutched at the bruise and grimaced at the silver haired woman. "What the hell was that for?!"  
  
"Fujin means Seifer needs some privacy with Quistis, you know? So you better do what she says, you know?" Raijin spoke, for the first time since they got there.  
  
Drain looked at the dark skinned man, who, ironically, reminded him of Overdrive. However, his constant, 'you knows' were getting really annoying. "Of course I know that!" He glanced at Fujin. "Was that really necessary?! Dammit!" Drain walked pass the two and left to join his buddies, clutching at his shin in pain. "Dammit! Why did you have to wear steel toed boots?!" he yelled.  
  
"PROTECTION!" Fujin fired back. The men watching the whole scene laughed at Drain as he approached them, receiving a glare from the short man. Fujin and Raijin, after making sure they stayed put at their work place, turned and walked away, back to their own work place.  
  
  
Inside the abandoned building, they kissed passionately, as if they have never seen each other for the longest time. Seifer wrapped his arms around her waist and continued to kiss her full lips, caressing his tongue against hers. Quistis smiled and pulled away, staring into his emerald eyes.   
  
"Seifer..." she whispered, resting her forehead against his. "Where can I stay tonight?"  
  
Seifer closed his eyes and stroked Quistis' hair. "I know a place, don't worry. Why don't you just wait for me at the hotel?" He reached inside his pocket and handed her his room key. "You know where my room is."  
  
Quistis nodded. "I'll be waiting," she whispered. She pressed her lips against his before turning around and leaving quickly. Seifer watched her go, brushing his finger against his lips where Quistis had kissed him.   
  
"Hi, Seifer..." He turned around, startled by the voice behind him. A figure lurked in the darker places of the building, which had turned to an even brighter colour, as if the Midas touch has been around this part of the building. There was something oddly familiar about the place. Golden walls and golden curtains surrounded him. As his eyes traveled in front of him, a woman with long hair, which he didn't know the colour of, since the darkness enabled him to see, stood at the balcony that was not there before. She turned around leisurely, very familiar eyes staring right at him, like ice.   
  
He backed away slowly, unsure whether to trust in this woman or not. "Who are you? Where am I?"  
  
She slowly stepped forward, flowing red cape dragging smoothly behind her. "I am your dream, Seifer," she spoke, in an accent very foreign to him. "You want me, don't you?"  
  
"What? How can I want you when I don't even know you?" He searched around frantically. The walls began to move and changed from gold to red. A sickly red that makes Seifer sick to the stomach.   
  
The woman cackled. "That's right you want Quistis! Don't worry, you'll have her soon! Right now, just enjoy your time together while you can, Seifer! The end is only the beginning!" The woman cackled again, turned around, her back facing him and faded into the dark light.   
  
  
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She rested her head on her upward palm and sipped at her straw. Sunlight gleamed from the window and through her glass, making a wonderful coloured prism on the table. She smiled at the beautiful array of colours with her hazel green eyes.   
  
"What's so funny?" She lifted her head up, her mouth still kept into a smile and shrugged, the moment her boyfriend sat down in front of her.   
  
"I don't know. I was just thinking about Quisty. Even though she's only been gone for a few hours, I miss her already," she replied. She twirled the straw around and stared at the content inside her glass. The ice was fading and soon, it would join the cola drink as a form of water.   
  
Zell smiled. "Hey, don't worry. We'll see her again. I'm sure her and Seifer will come visit." The thought of Seifer coming back at Garden made him shudder. He picked up his hot dog and took a bite out of it. Selphie seemed to have noticed his discomfort as she stopped twirling the straw and looked up at him.  
  
"I know you still hate him, Zell, but can't you be more civil towards Seifer? At least Squall has forgiven him." Selphie placed a hand on his own. "He's suffered enough pain already from the people in Garden who still gives him dirty looks."  
  
The blond turned his hands over and gently rubbed his thumb against her hand. He closed his palms and squeezed her hands lightly. "I guess I can, but that doesn't mean we're going to be best friends."  
  
Selphie nodded. "I know," she answered. The brunette took a deep breath, glad that Zell understood. "What do you want to do today?" She knew it was time to change the subject. Zell can never talk about one subject for the longest time, especially if it's about Seifer Almasy.   
  
Zell shrugged. "I dunno. You want to go to Balamb City and ride on the T-Boards there?"   
  
Selphie smiled and nodded vigorously. "Yeah! Yeah!" She enjoyed riding T-Boards, especially with Zell. She removed her hand from her straw and stood up, taking Zell along with her.   
  
Her excitement, the way she bounced up and down and the way she smiled, brought joy inside him. Completely forgetting to pay for the food he didn't finish eating, Selphie and Zell walked out of Garden and made their way to the parking lot.  
  
  
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"Leonhart here," he answered, bringing the phone closer to his ear. There was complete silence on the other line. Squall pulled away from the phone and tapped at it lightly, thinking that something was wrong with his phone, then brought it up again near his ear. "Hello?"  
  
"Hello, Squall," a familiar voice spoke.   
  
Squall frowned. "Laguna," he spoke in a very cold monotone. Today was not the day the mayor of Esthar should be calling. As the Commander of Balamb Garden and still a SeeD, why is it that the mayor was calling him instead of Headmaster Cid about missions? He was not surprised, however. Laguna called every other day, wanting to talk to him, but Squall would hang up and Laguna would never call again after that. He was ready to put the phone back on its receiver, when Laguna's desperate voice overthrew him.  
  
"Please don't hang up, Squall," Laguna spoke, in his deep voice. "I just want to talk to you."  
  
"If it's about the missions, you know I can't answer that. You'll have to speak to Cid about it." Another silence overtook the other line.   
  
"Squall, I just want to say I'm sorry. You have no idea how hard it was to leave your mother like that. I had to- I..." he paused, unsure what to say next.  
  
The brunette gritted his teeth. It was the same story for him and his so-called father. Nothing was ever different. Laguna would call him and he would say the exact same thing over and over again in his messages. Squall gripped his hands tightly on the phone, his knuckles turning white from frustration. Without another word and without giving Laguna the chance to speak again, he slammed the phone down on the receiver.   
  
The noise startled Rinoa, who had been sleeping on the couch for the longest time. She opened her eyes quickly and sat up, staring at the angry looking Squall with his fingers rubbing the top of his nose, obviously upset about something.   
  
"Squall?" she called, with a small voice. She walked over to him and placed a hand on his shoulder. Squall looked up and frowned. "What's wrong?"  
  
The Commander shook his head and pulled her towards him. He sat her down on his lap and wrapped an arm around her waist. "It's nothing. It was a wrong number," he lied.  
  
Rinoa rested her head against his shoulder. "You know you can't run away from him forever, Squall."  
  
Squall closed his eyes and nodded. He knew that all along. Without a word, the light haired brunette stroked her hair and sighed. Eventually, he would have to confront the man, but he was not ready to do so.   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
GoodGurl: Well, not the usual ending you guys hoped for, but it is and there's no way of changing it! Don't worry, there will be a sequel! It's mostly Seiftis and I'm sure everyone would love that! Eventually, this story will be a trilogy of some sort and will continue onward, until I feel like stopping, know what I mean? I'll continue Medieval later. Anyway, see ya! 


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